Reverie of Insanity
by Transparent Existance
Summary: In glimpses of sanity he found everything that he'd lost, and after years of fighting to remember, he wants it back. He wants to save them from the evil of the past that he fears remains. But do those distant memories want him? In the coming darkness can three survive the twisted will of one? Will kidnapping and abuse save them from his demons, or will it bring them down upon them?
1. Diary of a Maman

_~...Screaming at the window, Watch me die another day  
Hopeless situation, Endless price I have to pay...~_

He never saw the bars upon the windows, just the blurred shades of grey distorting his view of the outside world. Beyond the window everything was clear to his tired eyes, the trees and large iron gates stood in sharp definition against the aging sky. But those bars that separated him from what lay beyond were never clear. Maybe, he was standing too close to them?

With his face pressed between the bars, smashed against the reinforced glass all he could do was scream. He'd lost track of the days he'd watched slip away from the too white room with its padded walls. Too long had he been in this self inflicted darkness against the harsh lights constantly baring down on him. His world had been slipping for so long that most days he couldn't even remember his name. Nor whatever he had done to be locked away and forgotten.

Forgotten by who...? Sometimes he could see their faces, their names unspoken words resting on the tip of his tongue. They had meant so much to him, whoever they were. He beat his unkempt hair against the wall as he tried to remember, to understand why they had left him in this place alone. He never had visitors, and even the doctor avoided any talk of them.

Before his medications wore thin he remembered them best, but even in those brief moments of clarity he was too angry to focus. He hated the medications, the things he knew when he took them, the all too real memories of the violence that had brought him here. When he was himself, he wanted vengeance. When the memory of their voices beat against his mind all he could feel was hurt and rage.

_~...Diary of a madman, Walk the line again today  
Entries of confusion, Dear diary, I'm here to stay...~_

Day after day in his endless cycle he followed the rules of his imprisonment. Playing nice with the others, talking to his doctor once a week. He ate the bland meals with his plastic spoon and took the medications to keep the visions at bay. But when he was alone in his room, his eyes burning against how bright it was, he felt the madness seeping back in.

The grief coursed through him as he stared out that singular window, waiting for the moment when he could rejoin the world. The others laughed at him when he spoke of what he would do when he got out, but without that singular hope, he knew that he would fall into permanent darkness. He refused to accept that he was as far gone as the others believed.

So out the window he stared, like a gargoyle frozen in time. He bit his lips to try and restrain the screams building within himself as his mind tore itself apart, in constant mental battle with himself. Trying to remember who he was, who those phantom memories had been. What he'd done... He couldn't uncage those memories anymore then he could open that window.

_~...Manic depression befriends me, Hear his voice  
Sanity now is beyond me, There's no choice...~_

The pills he took left his dreams empty, but they couldn't quiet the whispers of his slipping sanity. All through each night he listened to the words of those he'd forgotten. Words of love turned to cries of terror at some unseen act he'd committed against them. His only comfort came of his own creation, his distress giving life to what sanity he still retained. It promised him that he would remember, that he would break free of his imprisonment and right the wrongs done to him. The ones that had been caused by him...

_~...A sickened mind and spirit, The mirror tells me lies  
Could I mistake myself for someone, Who lives behind my eyes?_

_Will he escape my soul, Or will he live in me?  
Is he trying to get out, Or trying to enter me?...~_

The hardest part of every day was staring at himself in the bathroom mirror. Looking into those distant eyes, seeing his own face yet being unable to remember who he had been enraged him. He knew that reddish brown mess of hair and those deep brown eyes had a name. His mind would whisper names to him, all of them he knew were wrong. They were the names that belonged to the voices of those who'd abandoned him, condemned him to this living nightmare. Only his own name stayed hidden,, tucked away until the time was right.

Staring into those lost eyes, he swore he could see distorted events from his life before playing out like a cinema film. Running free through the grass, holding a woman he must have loved. He was sure that those memories were his, or maybe, maybe they were tricks of his mind. Years of medication and false hopes building a life that had never been. Even not knowing, he hoped that the man he saw within his reflection was himself. That before all of this, he had been happy, free.

Over the past few weeks he'd been able to hold on to some of those brief glimpses of his past, slowly putting himself back together. He couldn't explain how, after all of these years he was finally able to bring himself back. He was unsure as to whether the man he was becoming was the man he had been, or just a manifestation of the things he'd come to believe were true. He wasn't sure it mattered after all of these years. He wanted to be somebody, anybody.

After years of failure, he'd finally developed a way of tricking the orderlies into thinking he'd taken the countless medications. With careful concentration he held them in his throat, clearing the check and waiting until he was alone and unnoticed to force them out. His mind was returning to him, and with it the extent of the madness he was supposed to be fighting. He told himself that for now, he could handle the hallucinations and ghostly voices tearing away at his mind. He wanted to know what the world was trying to make him forget, no matter the cost.

_~...Voices in the darkness, Scream away my mental health  
Can I ask a question, To help me save me from myself?...~_

Late into the night before his escape he saw what must have been his past in violent flashes. The phantoms he'd carried with him all these years, their names still lost, had been his family. The woman he'd sworn he knew was the wife he'd cherished. The children he'd sired and raised stared back at him, fear in their eyes as the flames rose. He could feel the blood on his shaking hands as he lit the match that had destroyed their home and torn them away from him.

He shook his head, trying to clear the past away as he searched for the voice of his sanity, hidden within their screams._ Why did I do it?_ He begged himself, needing to know. If he couldn't find the answer, couldn't understand why he'd destroyed everything he had loved then he knew he would loose what was left of himself.

Shaking hands tangled themselves in his hair as he pulled at the roots, waiting for the reply only he could give himself. He had seen something, known something was in their home. It had possessed his son, was going to harm all of them. So he'd tried to burn the evil away, to save them from it. He fell to his knees, tears falling over his face. He didn't know if they had survived the fire, couldn't remember what had happened after those flames had risen and the screams had stopped.

Perhaps his only visitors were the ghosts of his memories for a reason, though he didn't want to acknowledge the thought. If he let it in, then it threatened to become the truth. He couldn't have done what his mind was telling him had happened, he would never hurt them... What had he seen in that house to make him do it? What if it was still out there? If they were alive, then it might still hurt them.

_~...Enemies fill up the pages, Are they me?  
Monday 'til Sunday in stages, Set me free...~_

He spent the long hours of the night writing on bits of paper he'd hidden in the room, trying to work out what those pills had made him forget. The events of that night, what had led up to it. No matter how much he wrote, nothing made sense. The names of the ones he'd loved eluded him as his body ached for sleep. He pushed it off as long as he could, willing himself to remember. His hands moved on their own as he roughly sketched out hideous monsters, all of them hidden within his own eyes. Had they been real? Or just the illusions of a mentally unstable man?

Gathering the mess of papers, he hid them under his mattress before curling up on his bed. He let his eyes fall upon the bared window, seeing for the first time the sharp outlines of his imprisonment. He didn't know how he would do it, but he would break out of this place. He was going to find himself, and know what had happened. He had to, lest he be trapped within his unknowing insanity until it finally took control.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Drake and Josh, nor am I profiting from the story written here. The lyrics in italics are from the song _Diary of a Madman_, by Ozzy Osbourne. I don't own those either.

**A/N: **This fic is being written at the request of Seekertheoriginal, hopefully I'll be able to due the request justice. I don't know how regular the updates will be, as I am currently working on another fic, and doing real life stuff, but I'm going to try and keep up with them. So here is the beginning, hopefully any reading have liked it so far. Reviews and critique are welcome as always, and looked forward to.


	2. Reawakened Memories

Walking through the quiet house, it was almost hard to believe that all of her children were home today. It was almost noon and no one had been downstairs looking for breakfast, had turned their televisions on with the volume raised up. It was simply quiet, and she supposed that on rare occasions that silence was normal.

Audrey walked on light feet into the kitchen, inhaling the thick scent of freshly finished coffee. Most morning she was so busy getting the kids and Walter ready that she didn't have time to just sit and relax. So she poured herself a cup of coffee and carried it into the living room, grabbing her newest book from its spot on the coffee table and opening it up for the first time.

The smell of coffee laced with the distant scent of new pages filled the area of the couch where she sat as she read through the first few chapters. Though her mind wasn't entirely focused on her book, but on the nearly forgotten memories that early summer always brought. Years of pushing them away did little more then hide them until the time was right. The bright warmth of summer would always hold that chilling darkness for her, no matter how much time passed.

Sliding the bookmark between the pages, she set the book to the side and moved back toward the kitchen to start preparing a late lunch. If she let the kids sleep all day, then they would be up all through the night, making noise and disturbing herself and Walter. Thinking of her children always brought a smile to her well aged face. Despite the trouble they could cause, they were strong, intelligent, alive. Nothing made her happier.

Her thoughts drifted as she stirred the macaroni noodles into the boiling water, watching them expand as they started to cook. In that burning heat they softened and grew, becoming all that they were meant to be. The stove burner clicked loudly as she flipped it on, setting the pan down and throwing a dollop of butter in. It melted slowly, covering the pan as it seemingly disappeared before she sprinkled a bit of garlic salt over it. Just a little flavor, to chase away the boring taste of plain grilled cheese.

Audrey busied herself over the simplistic meal, keeping her mind focused away from the memories of that distant summer. She was sure Meghan had all but forgotten it, and Drake, he never spoke a word of it. She didn't know if Josh knew, but as he hadn't asked her, she felt safe to assume that Drake hadn't told him. Some secrets were best left in the dark, withering until they were almost nothing...

After dividing the food she moved toward the stairs, her eyes silently counting each one as the sounds of life began to make themselves present. The trendy music of Meghan's radio clashed with the competitive laughter from the boys' room. _Video games..._ She thought, shaking her head.

"Lunch is ready," Audrey called out, listening as her voice faded under the sounds of moving feet. When their doors started to open she backed away from the stairs, back into the kitchen to start cleaning away the dirty utensils.

Meghan was the first one down, her dark hair all ready brushed neatly back as she grabbed the juice from the refrigerator and poured herself a glass. She watched her mother carefully as she put the carton back, taking note of how different she seemed. At the beginning of every summer her mother started acting differently, quiet and withdrawn. It had been that way for as long as she could remember, though she didn't know why.

"Morning mom." She said brightly as she sat down at the table.

Audrey turned around, shaking the auburn hair from her eyes. "Good afternoon." She smiled. "Did you sleep well?"

Meghan shrugged her shoulders. "Drake and Josh were kinda loud, but other then that." She smiled, picking up the grilled cheese and taking a small bite out of it.

"Do I detect cheese?" Josh's voice filled the room as he stepped inside, his eyes falling onto the table as he grinned widely. He made a quick detour to the refrigerator to garb a drink before seating himself eagerly before the food. He wasted no time digging the spoon into the bowl of macaroni, tasting the hints of melted mozzarella that had been mixed in. "This is really good." He managed between bites.

Audrey smiled as she held the warm cup of coffee close to her face. "Where's Drake?"

Josh turned around in his seat, wondering the same. "I thought he was coming down behind me." He mused loudly.

Moments later they heard the sounds of Drake's footsteps as he came loudly down the stairs, entering the dining room with his charismatic smile. He grabbed a mocha cola from the fridge and slid into the last chair with food before it. There were no words from his chewing mouth, only quick nods in the directions of the family he hadn't seen yet that morning, and a competitive stare Josh's way.

"So what were you guys playing?" Audrey asked, looking at the boys.

"Mario." Josh said between bites, his eyes never leaving his brothers.

"I was winning." Drake boasted with his mouth full.

Meghan watched the bits of chewed food fall unto the table and rolled her eyes in disgust. "Gross." She muttered under her breath as she finished her food and took her dishes to the sink. "Mom, can I have a ride to Janie's house?" She asked passively.

Audrey looked up from the placid surface of her coffee, clearing her throat. "What time?" She needed to get groceries so it wouldn't be a bother to drop Meghan off.

"After lunch is cleaned up?" Meghan said, looking at the mostly cleaned mess. "I'll help with the rest." She offered.

"All right." Audrey replied, finishing the coffee and pushing herself out of the chair. She turned off the coffee maker and started wiping down the counters, hers eyes on the watch on her wrist, seeing through it to what lay hidden beneath.

The boys finished their lunch in almost perfect unison, dumping their dishes in the sink and hurrying back to their game, their feet pounding loudly against the stairs. Their voices drifted faintly to the kitchen as they playfully argued about who was going to win before the door shut, leaving mother and daughter in silence.

Meghan rinsed the boys' dishes before loading them into the dishwasher, the questions resting on her tongue as she watched her mother continue to wipe the same spot over and over. She sighed heavily, turning toward Audrey and twisted his hands together. "Mom?"

Audrey stopped cleaning the counter, blinking away her thoughts as she faced her daughter. "Are you all right?" Audrey asked, noticing the concerned tone in Meghan's voice.

Meghan nodded, taking a hesitant step closer to her mom. "Are you?" She countered, watching Audrey's face closely.

Audrey forced a quiet smile over her still tired face and placed a hand on her daughter's shoulder. "Just a little tired." She replied lightly.

"You get like this every summer." Meghan said softly, without realizing she'd voiced the thought.

The smile remained frozen on Audrey's face as she took a step back from Meghan, her hand reaching for the washcloth. Meghan didn't remember what had happened, and until she was older, Audrey wanted to keep it that way. "The change in schedule just wears me out." She lied as she rung out the cloth and set it in the sink.

Meghan detected the lie, but for now she would leave it be. She didn't know what her mom was hiding, just that eventually she would know. She would understand what haunted her mom, and why she kept it hidden. "I'm gonna go get dressed." She whispered as she moved toward her room.

Audrey watched as Meghan disappeared from her sight, her right hand closing over her watch as she leaned against the sink. Meghan was smart, there was no denying that she knew something had happened. After the final incident she had had so many nightmares that Audrey had been sure that even at that young age, she would remember. It had been such a blessing to see those memories slip away with age.

She turned toward the window, watching the clouds roll lazily across the blue sky, her heart aching. There had been a time when she would lay in the grass watching those clouds, when their shapes had brought wonder and laughter. It had been years since she had really seen them. "Brenton..." The name was a lost whisper on a shuddering breath.

Her hands gripped the counter as her short hair fell into her face, hiding the singular tear that streaked across her face. She was quick to wipe away the tears, forcing the remainder back as she moved toward her bedroom. She had promised herself that she wouldn't cry anymore, that the past was over with.

It didn't take long to apply her make-up and comb her hair, reviving the illusion that today was just like any other day. She scribbled out a list of things to pick up while she was out and grabbed the keys to the car, heading toward the front door. Meghan was waiting for her there, ready to go with a smile on her face.

"Ready to go?" Audrey asked jokingly as she slipped into her shoes.

"Yup." Meghan replied as she stepped outside and went to the car.

~.~.~

"Hah!" Josh nearly screamed as he watched Drake's character fly off screen. "You're out of lives, I win."

Drake let the old Nintendo controller drop the the floor, clattering loudly as he held back a series of harsh words. "I was close." He countered. "Wanna go again?"

Josh checked the digital alarm clock next to the bed and shook his head. "Can't. Mindy and I are gonna see a movie before I go into work. How about when I get home?" He asked as he forced himself off of the couch and toward the wardrobe.

"Sure." Drake sighed. He wasn't sure what he was going to do with his day. He hated when Josh went to movies with Mindy, they were always so boring.

Josh pulled out clean clothes and moved toward the door, stopping with his hand on the knob. "Hey Drake," He asked suddenly, looking at the slumping form of his brother.

Drake turned around on the couch, staring back. "What?"

"Did mom seem weird to you?" He'd noticed the distant behavior before, he just usually let it go.

"Not really." Drake replied. "Happens every summer, the change in schedule throws her off." He repeated the words she'd told him when he was younger.

"I guess that makes sense." Josh muttered as he left the room to shower.

Drake waited for Josh to leave before he leaned back into the couch, his eyes falling on the discarded control on the floor. His hands went to reach for it, but changed direction to his chest, feeling the rough skin hidden beneath his shirt. The doctors had told him that he was lucky to have such small scars after what had happened. Though he didn't really remember the events that had lead to them, he knew enough.

What memories he'd lost over the years his brief nightmares brought back every summer. He was sure that it was the same for his mom. He felt his arm moving on it own, resting his hand over the scar on his head beneath his hair. Lost in these thoughts, he could still feel the heat flickering over his skin, the smoke filling his lungs. There were times when this inability to remember was more curse then blessing, when he racked his brain trying to understand...

Some nights, when he woke up in that cold sweat all he wanted to do was wake Josh up and have someone to talk to. But if Josh knew, what would he think? Would he see whatever his father had, or worse, would he repeat those horrible actions?

Drake shook the thoughts away as he picked up the controller and started a new game, determined to find a way to beat Josh later tonight. He'd been so close this time, just one life away.


	3. The things that haunt

The light had never seemed so bright to his dark brown eyes. He felt like he was seeing the world for the first time, living despite the death's grasp he'd been trapped within. He didn't recognize the new accessories of the world, nor the changes that had enveloped the culture. The cars that passed him in the streets were different then the ones he could remember. Stores that he'd never heard of rested against each and the scents of foods he couldn't place filled his nostrils.

With every step that he took he felt his feet hitting the concrete of the sidewalks, the faint sounds of his footsteps echoing in his ears. He walked casually down the crowded streets, stretching his legs as far as he could. He couldn't remember ever having so much room to move in.

The air tasted differently then he had imagined it would from behind the barred windows of the institution. It was crisp, clean with an aftertaste of sullied decay. From the windows all he had seen were open fields and iron gates. The distant outlines of foreign buildings reaching up from behind the ever changing trees had seemed so unreal. Now he was standing beneath their towering height, waiting for them the crumble and crush the life from him.

It was the people that amazed him the most as he walked endlessly without destination. The women caught his eyes first, their splendid shapes trapped beneath fabrics of every color and cut. Not the plain uniforms the stingy nurses had worn behind their protective glass windows. He hadn't seen a real woman in so long, and he felt the tingle of his flesh against his own clothing as he watched them going about their days as if he wasn't there.

With sharp eyes he looked from face to face, trying to find the one from his memories, hoping that she was real. Some of the women held similar traits, but none matched the phantom lover of his memories. He felt the pounding ache of his heart pulling at his chest as the hopelessness began to consume him. In a world so full of people, would he ever find her?

The sun was high in the sky when he found an empty bench in the park to sit upon. It was hard, like the ones he'd always known, but he found it so much more relaxing then the others. For long moments he sat there, his eyes closed against the world he'd finally made it back into. He felt so small out here, so alone. He'd never really made friends in the institution, but at least there he had known everybody. Their names and stories had become a part of his everyday life, and without them he felt like the bundled up newspaper tumbling over the grass.

Out here, no one cared who he was or what he was about. They weren't trying to force the medications down his throat to make him forget and keep the visions away. They didn't notice him at all. For the first time in what must have been years, he felt utterly alone. Unbound and free. He reached into the pockets of his coat, feeling the plastic bottles of pills against his hands. He couldn't remember how he had gotten the clothes, or the medications. Even his escape was blurred as he struggled to remember how he had gotten away.

The one thing that stood out in his drug hazed memory were the bright red stains upon his discarded uniform. When he'd gotten into the city he had hid in the early morning shadows and changed into the stolen clothes, leaving his own behind. In these he had found a wallet with someone else's identity and money waiting for him. Numerous bottles of the same pills he had been taking rested in a deep pocket, hidden from view. He didn't want to take them anymore, he wanted to remember.

He needed to know who he was, what he had done. He knew for sure that he had missed at least two doses of the medications, and he could feel the numbing fading from his mind. He was becoming real again, and it was the most terrifying feeling in the world. The feel of every small movement his body made, the sensation of conscious thought. Living had never been so real, so full of purpose. Opening his eyes, he stared up into the late day sun, feeling the tears rise as his eyes tried to close. He'd seen light that bright only once before, when the flames had circled him as the house he'd worked so hard to obtain had burned around him. Fiery hands had pulled at his clothes, dragging him toward the floor where the mouth of the monster lay waiting to swallow him whole.

He blinked away the memory as quickly as he'd found it, watching the spots dance across the darkness of his closed eyes. He knew that monster, had been more afraid of it then anything in his entire life. He could feel his shoulders shaking as the laughter ripped through his lungs. He remembered it, knew what it was and the evil it had brought with it from the depths of hellish nightmares.

If he could remember that monster, then surly the names and faces of his family weren't too far behind! He took his hand away from the bottles in his pockets and reached out into the sunlight, letting its harmless warmth engulf him. It couldn't hurt him, he'd been afraid all these years for nothing! He couldn't stop the boisterous laughter as he leaned forward, clenching his sides as they began to ache. Had he ever laughed so hard at anything?

With a new sense of freedom he explored the long streets, reading the signs on the buildings with careful curiosity. The wrong building would bring unwanted attention to him, and he was determined not to go back. _Never again._ He promised himself as he found a small bar at the end of the street and walked in.

The cloudy room slowly defined itself as he walked past the pool tables, the balls clanking against each other as loud patrons boasted their skills to one another. Cheap woman hovered over handsome men, whispering suggestions into their ears in hopes of obtaining another drink. It was everything he had remembered, the one thing that hadn't changed in his absence from the world. He took deep breathes as the familiar scent of cigarettes drifted around him, his hands twitching in the want.

He choose a stool at the bar, near the flat screen television and watched with wide eyes as the clear picture depicted a News team, interrupting the game to send out important information to the watching public. His eyes found the date and the breath froze in his throat. It was June, the year was 2012. Nearly seven years to the day of the last date he could remember. _Seven years... _He couldn't have spent that much time behind those unfeeling walls. How could so much time have passed without him knowing?

The faces he remembered wouldn't fit the faces of those he was searching for, if they were still there at all. His own face had changed so slowly he hadn't even realized it, the name he'd forgotten lay buried under seven years of medicated repression. He could feel his hands shaking as he accepted the beer from the bartender, already forgetting that he had ordered it.

Staring into the golden liquid he saw his face, not as he had remembered it, but as it had become. The scars on his cheek from those sharp nails, painted violet and chipping. Her nails. She had hit him, left him to the flames of their burning home. He lifted the glass, hoping that in its bitter relief he'd be able to remember something other then the bad, something that made him more man then monster.

"_...Inmate escaped this morning, leaving three people dead and another two injured. Authorities are unclear as to how the man got out of his cell as well as how he became armed, but they are looking for him now. Brenton Parker was arrested for the attempted murder of his family in 2006 and the arson of nearly an entire neighborhood that left five people dead and many more severely burned. He is considered armed and highly dangerous, and people are being advised not to approach him if the see him on the streets."_

He looked up at the television screen, seeing the old portrait of a man he had known. Fresh cuts across his cheek, his dark eyes hidden beneath disheveled reddish brown hair. He'd seen that face grow older, knew that frightened look in those eyes. Brenton Parker... The name rolled off of his tongue in a noiseless whisper as the name, his name, fit itself into the blank spaces of his mind.

He left the money for the beer on the counter and quickly made his way back onto the street, hiding his face behind his tangled hair. Attempted murder... They were alive! He grinned as their faces flashed across his mind, their names still hidden. It didn't matter, having his own name was enough, would make finding them so much easier. He would find them, and he would save them from the demon he knew still haunted them.

~.~.~

Audrey watched the world pass by in blurred shapes as she drove down the short roads, taking turns more by memory then actual focus. Her hands knew the way home, every turn and stop so embedded in her memory that her vision almost didn't matter. She felt her foot press against the brake as she drove past the cemetery, slowing to a near crawl as she looked at the standing headstones of the dead.

She'd been to at least five of those funerals, all in one very long week. The crowds of mourning families gathered around the unfortunate lost, the scent of flowers and earth. She could almost smell them again, could almost taste the salted tears that had covered her cheeks. Dressed in black the sun had never felt so harsh. The soft breezes of summer never so cold to skin that had tasted the flames of distraught madness. The memory of the voices of the grieving echoed against her mind, their hurtful words making her ex husbands actions so much more real.

The honking horns of the cars behind her pulled Audrey from the memories, shattering the hold they had on her. She pressed her foot against the gas pedal, accelerating to the normal speed and left the cemetery behind. She only wished that the memories were so easy to leave.

After pulling the car into the driveway she put it in park and just sat there, her mind full and her eyes empty. Every summer the memories came back, for seven years she fought with the events that had nearly taken everything from her. The first man she had truly loved, the father of her children... The darkness that had overtaken him and turned him into a raving lunatic still loomed over her family. She felt the tears burning in her eyes as she let the memories out on shuddering breathes, trying to chase them away.

It took everything she had to climb out of the car and load the groceries into her thin arms. If she could hold the hurt back just a few more days, until the anniversary, then she would be okay. She took them flowers every year, begged forgiveness of the dead for her lost love's crimes. By the time she was entering the house the tears were gone and her face had resumed its usual calm. It had taken years to be able to control the emotions, but she had learned, not for herself, but for her children.

If they knew what a monster their father was, what he had done... Audrey wasn't sure that they could handle knowing what had happened those seven years ago. When she had told Walter the shock on his face had terrified her. She had been so sure that he would leave, taking the only outside stability she had known away with him. But bless him, he had stayed. Long nights of comfort following days of bright, unconditional love. There were times when he was such a goof that she could only shake her head in silent laughter. If it hadn't been for the light he had brought to her, she didn't know where she would be now. Isolated in grief, locked away from her own insanity. No, she had promised herself that she would never be the person that Brenton had become.

Audrey was putting the cool groceries into the refrigerator when the phone started to ring, its shrill beeping echoing against the quiet house. Eggs still in hand she walked across the wood floors to the living room and pulled the phone off of the charger, bringing it to her ears.

"Hello?" The sound of her own voice startled her. She'd been so quiet all day that just speaking seemed to change the world.

"Audrey, is that you?" The elderly voice of her mother came across the line in hurried urgency.

"Mom?" Audrey called into the phone, her mother's tone having her worried. "Is everything okay?"

"Haven't you seen the news?" Her mother asked harshly. "It's been played at least four times all ready."

Audrey leaned over the couch, grabbing the remote and turning the television on as her mother rambled on about how horrible whatever had happened had been. She flipped through the channels until she found the news broadcast, her hands shaking as that old photo flashed across the screen. The same one they'd used seven years ago. The words of the News team drifted through the room as they retold the story of the blazing tragedy, showing pictures of the dead.

"... and when I saw it I knew that you must have. But when you didn't call I got worried that he had found you."

"What?" Audrey asked, not really listening to her mother anymore.

"Audrey, are you listening to me?" Her mother snapped.

Audrey shook her head, trying to pry her eyes away from the screen. "I'm sorry, I, I have to go." She said, hanging up the phone and walking around the couch, falling into it. The scripted words of the reporters were lost to her as she stared at a face she had tried to forget, a phantom that had haunted her all these years. There had been days when she'd just thought him dead, because it was so much easier then knowing that he was still alive. The world had seemed safer when she left the memory of him in the shadows of her mind.

Three more people were dead because of him, and she knew that more would follow. Without the doctors and medications that she had begged he be put on he would remember them. She didn't want him to find them, to hurt anyone else. If he found them, if he tried to hurt her children she swore that she would end his crazed suffering.

Audrey turned off the television and pushed herself off of the couch, ignoring the carton of eggs as it fell to the floor. The soft crunch of breaking eggs was lost to her busy mind as her feet carried her up the stairs, to her son's room. She didn't knock before pushing open the heavy door, nor did she announce herself in any way. She saw Drake sitting there, his focus leaving his game as his character died and disappeared from the colorful, blocky screen.

"Mom?" She was walking toward him, but her eyes seemed empty as her hands shook ever so slightly.

Audrey couldn't find her voice as the words crowded over her tongue, her lips trembling over their need to get out. Her body fell onto the couch next to Drake, the feeling of his hand grazing over her own pulling her from her trance. "Drake..." She looked at him with wavering eyes, the tears pushing against her eyes.

"Are you okay?" he asked again, feeling his gut sink as her fear made itself clear to him.

"Its your dad," She whispered almost too quietly to hear, her right hand closing over the watch on her left wrist. "He broke out of the asylum Drake, he's free..." Saying those words aloud sent violent chills through her body, made it all the more real.

Drake starred back at her, his breath frozen in his lungs as he tried to let her words in. After seven years, he couldn't have gotten out. After the memories had faded into nightmares he had no right to bring them back, to break the surface and make them breath that fear back into their lives. Drake shook his head in silent denial, his own voice lost within the anger building within himself.

"How?" The singular word was all he could manage as he tried to hold the screams within his throat.

"They didn't say." She said, shaking her head. She wouldn't tell him that more people had been killed. "I want you to be careful, in case he finds us. The police should find him soon, but until then,"

"You think he'll find us?" Drake asked sharply, his eyes searching hers for the truth.

Audrey shook her head, confident that her family was safe. Hopeful that he would be found and locked away before anyone else could be hurt. "They'll find him." She repeated, putting her hope into those words.

Drake wrapped his arms around his mother as she moved toward him, taking as much comfort as she was offering. If she wasn't so afraid of Brenton, if the threat of him possibly appearing after all of these years weren't so strong then she wouldn't have told Drake. She didn't want the dark cloud hovering above herself to shadow him as well, leaving him cold in its darkness. But she wanted him to be careful, to be safe.

Drake waited until she left the room, until her footsteps faded down the stairs to release the vocalized anger that had been burning within himself. Though the growl was quiet, it vibrated against the walls of the otherwise silent house as he fell from the couch onto the floor, his balled fist splitting his knuckles as he hit the floor.

His shoulders heaved with the heavy breathes as he refrained from screaming again. His mom was already afraid, he didn't want to add to her worry. He closed his brown eyes, so much like the eyes of his father and tried to remember everything that had happened. Flashes of nightmares played across his mind, distorting the truth and leaving him in frustrated tears. Why had his father done it? Why couldn't he remember? The scars on his chest throbbed against his heartbeat as he forced the tears back, determined to be stronger then the things that haunted him.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

**A/N: **I know that the story has had a large focus on Audrey so far, but that is mostly because I'm trying to develop her character to fit it better. With this fic, I'm pulling away from the actual show more then I have with the others, and while I'm trying to keep everyone true to their original characters, to make this work I need to change them a bit. I hope this hasn't annoyed anyone so far, and that you're all still enjoying it.


	4. Nightmarish Remembrance

In those early morning hours, when sleep still eluded his tired body he closed his eyes and searched. Trains of thought like wispy arms pulled at the doors of his mind, searching for the memories that had been locked away by years of medication. He had the keys now, and he was determined to find everything that his holders had been determined to make him forget.

His motel room was cold, and the depreciated sheets of the worn bed did little to comfort him as he shifted about uncomfortably. Through the thin, cheaply painted walls he could hear the couple in the next room, their moans drowning in the growing frequency of shifting springs. Without the dulling effects of his medications, he could hear the near silent screams hidden with the springs, like miniscule imps cheering them on. Disgusting creatures feeding on the temporary pleasure of unknowing entertainers.

It was after 3 am when the room finally fell into silence, allowing Brenton the peace he needed to concentrate. Within that comforting darkness, he could dig through the layers of distraction that sought to keep him from himself. The first memories passed in soundless waves, black and white visions of a life that seemed to belong to someone else.

He could see her, the curves of her body and flawless white of her soft skin. His hands went numb as he remembered what it had felt like to hold her in his arms, the warmth of a body so filled with love and good intentions. Her laughter broke the silence as it echoed against the memory, sweet, simplistic joy and peace. Seeing her like this, as she had been those seven years ago filled him with an empty happiness that he'd do anything to fill. He would give everything he had just to remember her name.

Colors bled back into the pictures of his thoughts, giving them life as they passed in extended displays of the life he'd lost. Her soft red hair as the sun shone down upon it, those deep brown eyes. Like his own eyes, their children's eyes.

Without warning the voices of his memories rose in his ears, a rising cacophony of words and laughter, screams and whimpers. Brenton pressed his hands over his ears, trying to muffle the sounds as his head began to pound. _I love you... _ Her voice, so soft yet brimming with emotion as she nestled against his chest. _Dad! Look what I made!_ His son yelled excitedly as he presented a multicolored drawing. _Higher daddy, like birds... _His daughter begged with wide eyes as he lifted her above his head.

The look on his wife's face as she shook her head, her arms wrapped around herself._ You need to see a doctor Brenton, somethings wrong..._ If only he had listened to her then, then maybe things would have been different.

When he remembered the darkness that had slowly eaten away at his sanity he felt his body burn. Those initial, fleeting visions of monsters always just out of his sight. The fear that they had filled him with was almost touchable. He could remember the feel of new carpet under his feet as he'd followed the luminescent beings down the halls, watching them slip under the door of his son's room. He could still see his son's sleeping face, the moonlight casting shadows over him as the creatures crawled over his bed and inside of his partially open mouth.

The terrified screams of the child as he had grabbed him and tried to shake the beings out rang in shrilling volume against his ears. The fear in his small, brown eyes as he starred at his father in absolute horror... Brenton could see himself in those eyes, disheveled and malicious. He'd been afraid of himself in those brief moments before she had torn him away from their crying child.

Brenton curled up on his side, wanting the flow of memories to stop as his body shook and head pounded. He didn't want to see anymore, to know this much was shattering the hopes he'd held onto for so long. The happy family he'd only known in passing visions was torn apart by the reality of what had been done. Like flames burning through a photograph, tarnishing the colors and melting the smiles away before leaving only ashes in its place.

After long moments of shaking pain, Brenton exhaled and pulled the bottle of medications from the pocket of the coat. "Just for tonight." He told himself as he swallowed them dry. His stomach churned as he tried to relax, silently begging for the pills to work as they had for so many years. His eyelids became heavy as the need for rest overpowered his desire to keep the memories away, and he feel into a deep sleep.

Even in sleep Brenton was tormented by the unwelcomed memories of what he had done. In that inescapable darkness the harsh words of his wife chased after him, condemning him as a monster. In a montage of dark nights he saw himself standing in his son's doorway, watching the burning creatures mock him as they slowly took over the boy. In the following days he noticed the changes in the way the boy behaved. The fear that kept him away from his father, because he knew. He knew that the creatures were there, that his son was turning into a monster.

His body convulsed as he remembered the flames. In his minds eyes he could still see the bright yellows and oranges turning to violent reds as they climbed the walls of his small home. Glass shattered from the photographs on the walls, littering the ground with shimmering shards as he ran down the halls, the knife in his hands. The hate burning in her eyes as she'd hit him, cutting his face with those violet nails. He could remember the sharp gasp of pain as he'd brought his hand up in defense, the knife grazing over her wrist. He'd hit her then, the only woman he'd ever loved and left her on the floor. She didn't understand, and how could she?

The heat of those dancing flames closed in on him, threatening to lock him in to die as he searched for the source. It was the monster, the demon that lived within his son. If he didn't kill him, then it would kill everyone!

He could feel the smoke filling his lungs, leaving him dazed as his eyes clouded with tears. The distant sirens wailed in and out of his ears, threatening to stop him before the deed was done. No! He had to save everyone, had to stop the beast. He found his son, crying in his room as the flames drew closer. Back to their master... _Daddy, I'm scared.._. _No, Don't,_ The cries echoed against the burning walls as he raised the knife and thrust it down, watching the bloodied body fall among the embers. He'd missed the heart, his own begging him not to do what he knew needed to be done.

Brenton moved in again, forcing himself to to do what had to be done. That was when the shadow had caught his eye, in blurring movement it had stopped him from killing the boy. He could still feel its hands trying to force the knife away. He remembered the shadow's blood as he had stabbed it wildly, trying to make it understand what had to happen. That shadow, even weakened as it was had taken him down and carried the boy away. It had saved its master and left him to the heated flames. In those moments before he'd lost consciousness he saw it, the creature of fire that had tormented his mind for seven years, laughing at him.

Brenton woke gasping for air, his lungs burning as if the smoke had been real. He pushed himself up, coughing until he threw up all over the sheets, his body still shaking. The beast still lived, and it was going to hurt his family again. This time, he wouldn't miss. He would have the strength to stop it, and nothing was going to stop him.

After quickly cleaning himself up Brenton went down to the shabby lobby and toward the imitation wood desk. After waiting for the clerk to help him he started ringing the silver bell impatiently until the grungy clerk shuffled out of the closed off back room, eying him with annoyance. "What?" He snapped.

"I need a phone book. I'm in town on business and I want to find some old friends." Brenton lied with ease as he stared at the distasteful, peeling blue wallpaper.

The clerk pulled the heavy book from a drawer and let it fall noisily onto the desk. "Good luck," He muttered through yellowing teeth. "You don't find people with these anymore."

"What do you mean?" Brenton asked as he flipped through the book, hoping that one of the names would be familiar to him.

"These days if you want to find someone, you use the internet." The man replied gruffly as he scratched his large stomach. "When you're done with that, leave it on the desk." He said as he turned around and headed back into the small room behind the desk, slamming the crooked door.

Brenton scrolled down the pages, there were only three Parkers listed, and none of them stood out to him. He threw the book down on the desk and stormed out of the dingy motel and into the early afternoon in search of a computer.

~.~

In the endless darkness of his own dreams, Drake saw himself as the ten year old child he had been. He could almost feel those old, power ranger's blankets pulled up over himself as he laid in bed, not yet asleep. He could feel the eyes upon him from the shadows outside of his door, his small body shaking with fear.

His father was changing, his gentle smile twisting into a malicious scowl as the days passed since the night he'd tried to strangle him. In these dreams, he could remember his father's face as it had been before the evil had taken him. That smile that had assured him time and again that he was good, that he was loved... But as those swift dreams bled into reoccurring nightmares the pains of his past made themselves real again.

Obsessed with an unseen evil, his father had set fire to their home, and he could feel those cruel flames again. Drake remembered that heat, his young mind terrified that his skin was melting. The tears fell from his eyes as the smoke filled his lungs, choking the life giving air away as he cried and waited for his mom. In those moments he'd been so afraid that she would leave him, that she had believed his father.

Small, blurred eyes looked on in fear as his mother's scream drowned in the sounds of crackling wood, as his father entered the room. In crawling flashes he saw his father grab him, his pleads meaning nothing as the crazed man lifted the knife, the flames reflections dancing on the blade. He watched in slow motion as the blade come down, imbedding itself within his chest...

Drake's eyes snapped open as the scream tore through his throat, ripping him away from the nightmare. _Only a nightmare... _He thought as his hands ran over the scar on his chest, feeling it tingle at the memory. He could feel the cold tears streaking over his cheeks as his body shook. Drake felt the eyes upon him, heard the heavy breathing and instantly his body tensed. _Its not real._ He told himself as he squeezed his eyes shut, hoping the feeling would go away.

"Drake?" Josh asked, having been awoken by Drake's scream.

Drake breathed a sigh of relief, realizing that it was Josh and not his father. "I'm fine." He lied on ragged breathes. "Just a nightmare."

"You sounded like you were dying." Josh said, still worried about his brother.

Drake scoffed lightly, recalling the memories the dream had awakened. "Sometimes, I wish I had..." He said too quietly for Josh to hear.

"What?" Josh asked as he started to push himself out of bed.

"Just go back to bed." Drake whispered loudly As he turned away from Josh and pulled the blankets up to his chin. He wanted to tell Josh, more then anything he wanted someone to make him feel safe. But he didn't want to scare his brother, to release these nightmares upon him and leave him at their mercy.

Josh stared at Drake's unmoving form for long minutes, unconvinced that it had been a simple nightmare. He had never heard Drake scream like that, and he was sure that in the dim moonlight from the window he's seen the remnants of tears on his face. Hesitantly, Josh laid back down and tried to sleep, but his mind was too busy to allow that desired relief. First his mother had begun acting differently, and now Drake was having nightmares? Something was going on, something that neither of them wanted to talk about.

The late afternoon sun was shinning through the windows when Drake finally awoke from a blissfully empty sleep. Despite how long he'd slept, he still felt exhausted. To see those memories again so clearly after years without them left him shaken and numb, wishing for nothing more then them to disappear again.

It took nearly an hour for Drake to pull himself away from the warmth of his bed, instantly regretting it as his feet his the floor. As relieved as he was to be away from the nightmares grasp, reality held no comfort for him now. The man who'd tried to kill him, the shell of the person who had once been his father, was out there. If he did find them before the police found him, what would he do? How many people would he kill?

Drake staggered towards the bathroom, through the brightly colored hallway with its beams of sunlight like glass fire. He felt that transparent warmth rush over him with every step that he took, gently willing away the chill from his skin. That warmth did little to ease his mind as he pushed open the bathroom door. Drake stepped toward the toilet, stopping as he caught his reflection in the mirror above the sink. He had his father's good looks, his hair, his eyes. No, not his eyes. These were his mother's eyes. Though they shared the color of his father's, they didn't hold the cruelty and unprovoked hatred that had looked down at him.

Slowly, with trembling fingers Drake lifted his shirt and stared at the scars reflection in the mirror. The long phantom line of paled white stood out against his skin, a ghostly reminder of how close he'd come to dying. The blade had fallen centimeters away from his heart, though it might as well have pierced it. Those moments of burning betrayal had remained even after the memories had faded, and that sting would always be there. Beneath the scar, he swore a piece of that blade remained, forever cutting into his sanity.

Drake let his shirt fall back over his stomach, the quick movement sending a brief blur across his vision. New memories, long forgotten ran across his thoughts as he stood, frozen in time. A silhouette running across the flames, wrestling the blade from his father as he slowly faded out of consciousness. Someone else had been there that night, Someone had stopped his father from killing him and gotten him away from those flames. But who?

~.~

Audrey felt the warm hands wrap around her, pulling her back into a tight embrace. She fell into those arms, welcoming the relaxing warmth of her husbands love. "Good afternoon." She whispered.

"How are you holding up?" Walter asked. It was that time of year again, when she started to pull away from everyone to deal with the things that had happened before they'd met. It hurt to see her so distraught, to know that he could do nothing more then offer love and smiles to try and get her through it.

Turning around in his arms, Audrey looked up into Walter's eyes and offered a tired smile. She didn't want to tell him that she was afraid, that there was the slight chance that he might find them. "I'm okay." She lied quietly, hiding her face against his chest. She didn't want him to see the tears, but she knew that he could hear them on every hesitant breath.

"It's going to be okay." Walter whispered, running his fingers through her hair. "I'm here."

Audrey nodded, rubbing her face against his shirt, taking comfort in him simply standing with her. In these rare moments of solemn alleviation she loved him so much more. She knew that it was hard for him to push outside of his daffy demeanor and hold a straight face, but he did it for her, every year.

Sighing heavily, Audrey pulled away from Walter and turned back toward the kitchen sink. "I know." She replied softly. "The anniversary is tomorrow."

Walter nodded, understanding. "I'll bring something home for dinner." Audrey would be gone most of the day, and she'd be in no mood to cook when she got home.

"Thank you." Audrey dipped her hands into the lukewarm water, doing the dishes by hand to try and clear her mind.

Walter placed a hand on her shoulder, mentally searching for anything else he could do to try and help. He'd just opened his mouth to speak when Drake stepped into the kitchen, his heavy eyes watching them with uncertainty. He took a quick step back as if to leave them alone when Walter kissed Audrey on the cheek and stepped away.

"I'll see you when you get home." He said with his old smile before heading out for work.

Drake watched his mom do the dishes for long minutes, waiting for her to acknowledge him. She didn't look at him as she scrubbed all ready clean dishes, rinsing them only to put them back in the dirty water. He took careful steps closer to her, watching her shoulders shake as she kept her face down.

"Mom?" He asked quietly, slowly reaching his hand out toward her.

"I'm okay." She said, her heavy breathing and occasional sniffle betraying her lie.

The moment Drake's hand touched her shoulder she dropped the plate, the sound of it smashing against the wood floor shrieking in their ears. Without a moment of hesitance Audrey wrapped her arms around her son, pulling him close and holding him there. Every year she'd held back the pain of almost loosing him, the guilt of staying in that house when she'd known Brenton wasn't well. She'd held it all back in the hopes that Drake would forget and live a normal life.

"I'm sorry." She sobbed, squeezing him.

"For what?" Drake asked, oblivious to what had started her tears.

Audrey shook her head, swallowing the words as she tried to stop herself from crying anymore. It wouldn't help him to see her this way. Almost as quickly as she'd pulled him close, she stepped away, wiping the tears away from her face. "Are you hungry?" She asked, kneeling down to pick up the broken porcelain.

Drake knelt down beside her, helping her retrieve the pieces when he saw the scar usually hidden by her watch. He'd never really learned how she'd gotten it, just the bandages that had covered it after the fire. "Mom?" He asked softly, mentally chewing the words of his questions.

"Hmm?" She replied wordlessly as she carried the shards to the trash can.

"How, how did you get that scar?"

Audrey's right hand immediately went to her wrists, feeling the bare skin where her watch normally rested. "I got it the night of the fire, trying to take the knife away from your dad." Her voice was barely a whisper.

"I don't remember a lot about that night." Drake confessed, hoping that she would finally tell him the full truth. "Was there someone else in the house that night?"

Audrey brought her eyes from the floor to her son's face, nodding her head as the words knotted in her throat. "Tomorrow." She sighed. "Come with me tomorrow, and I'll tell you whatever you want to know."


	5. When the past catches up to you

Brenton moved through the streets, the collar of the coat pulled up to try and hide his face. Were it not for the scars, he was sure that no one would recognize him. But with those three vertical trails of whitened flesh stretched across his cheek, acting as a signal he didn't want to risk it. The only place he could remember easy computer access away from home was the library, and it had been so long he didn't know if he'd still be able to go there.

He made a quick stop at a street side ATM, deciding it best to get what money he could from the stolen card in his pocket. After studying the stolen wallet, he'd discovered that it had belonged to his doctor, the man who had spent years earning money keeping the truth away from him. The idiot had been foolish enough to keep his pin number hidden in the folds of the wallet. Punching in the numbers, Brenton pulled out the max amount that the machine would allow and stuffed it in his pockets before continuing on his way.

The old library stood high against the smaller buildings to either side of it, its old red bricks a tawny brown in their old age. Brenton walked up the cracked stone stairs, avoiding the intimidating stares of the stone lions, the scribbled graffiti upon them invisible to him. Those dead, empty eyes watched him pass as their dulled and chipped teeth stayed exposed and ready. Brenton could see the dried blood caked upon those teeth, all that remained of the people they had killed.

Pushing the illusions away, Brenton continued into the musky building, avoiding the librarians as he walked through rows of forgotten books toward the center of the room, where the outdated computers sat. There were five of them, three with concentrating teenagers staring at the screens. Keeping his head down Brenton sat on the most isolated computer and opened the internet, not knowing exactly what he wanted to search. After long minutes of staring at the empty search screen he typed in the date of the fire, scrolling over numerous links until he found a news article detailing the event.

Seven years ago today, he still couldn't believe that so much time had passed. The article went over the scarce details of why he had burnt the house and tried to kill his son, making him laugh sarcastically. He hadn't set the fire, his son had! It didn't surprise him that no one else knew, that they had blamed it all on him and his supposed insanity. Five people had died as the fires had spread to the neighboring houses, including a concerned neighbor who had rushed in and saved the boy and mother from the flames. The shadow... Brenton shook his head, knowing that it had been no human who had burst into that room and stopped him. Lies, all of it!

Reading further into the article, Brenton didn't find the names or faces of anyone other then himself and those that had died. His family had been excluded, as if they had never existed. At the bottom of the page were pictures of the dead and the damage the fire had left behind. Smiling faces and scorched remains of homes long forgotten. Looking at those charred outlines against the late auburn sky, his fingers pressed against the dirty screen her name whispered across his thoughts.

"Audrey..." He whispered the name, his chest heaving as the simplistic joy ran through him. He could feel the relieved tears burning against his eyes as he closed them, mentally putting the name with the face he'd remembered so lovingly.

Searching for Audrey Parker brought no results no matter how many times he typed in the name. Scratching his stubble covered chin in frustration, he tried to remember her maiden name. It had been something so simple, so dull it hadn't ever really fit her. A name, a man's name... God in Heaven why couldn't he remember? Brenton grinned, his dirty breath falling out from between his parted lips as his fingers slammed down upon the keys. Audrey Evans!

The search became surprisingly easy after he remembered her name. Typing it in, he found an old social media page that hadn't been used in years, her picture sitting harmlessly near the name. Seeing her, older, yet still as he remembered her let the tears he'd been holding back fall. Brenton pressed his hand over her face, feeling nothing but the cold, grimy screen against his palm. To see her, to know without a doubt that she was real...

Reading over the page he found that she lived near the city, though there was no address listed. He read over all of the things she enjoyed, smiling as he remembered the interests they had shared, and her interests that he had shook his head at. He opened her photos, looking at every one for long moments, falling into her smile. There were none of him, but there were photos of their children. His daughter, his little princess Meghan. Named after Audrey's mother, the old sow. How he had hated the older woman... And Drake, the source of his years of suffering... The older Drake had gotten, the more he had grown to look like him, almost the reflection of his younger days.

Even in these photographs he could see the fire burning within the child, the evil in those carefree brown eyes. That ever standing smile mocked him, silently laughing at the pain he'd endured these last seven years. Brenton could see the flames, and he felt the heat against his skin as he continued to stare at the photo, his hands balled into shaking fists. He had to save his family from that unseen evil, to free them from its grasp before it was to late.

Brenton finished reading through the information, finding the school where his children went and learning things about them that he'd missed in his time locked away. The internet made it all too easy. Pushing himself away from the computer, Brenton pulled his collar back around the sides of his face and headed back outside. The first thing he would need was a mode of transportation, then, a place to bring them where no one would stop him from doing what had to be done.

Hours passed as Brenton wondered the streets aimlessly, his fingers crinkling the bills in his pocket. He wouldn't be able to pull out more until tomorrow, and that was only if the account was still open to him. Looking into the account, that damned doctor had more money set aside then he had made in a year! All of it earned on the suffering of his crazed patients...

The sun was high in the sky when Brenton was walking by an alleyway downtown, a white utility van parked at the opening. Whistling a cheerful tune, Brenton walked into the alley, where a young man was sifting through a bin of trash for whatever he could find of worth. He looked no older then twenty-two, his baggy clothes covered in dirt and food stains. When he noticed Brenton he dropped the bag he was searching and looked up with shifty, hazel eyes.

"You here for some grass old man?" He asked as he couched heavily into his dirty sleeve.

"Is that your van out front?" Brenton asked, ignoring the proposition.

"Yeah, what about it?" The boy asked, shoving his hands into deep pockets.

The question went by Brenton as he watched the slithering shadows roam over the trash covered alley, hiding from his sight. Over empty cans and under muck covered bags, looking for darkness to hide within. Brenton shook his head, watching the shadows disappear as they boy stared at him uncertainly.

"You ain't right," The boy whispered as he pulled a small knife from his pocket, its blade covered in orange rust.

"Give me your keys." Brenton said, taking a step closer to the boy.

"Get back!" The boy shrieked as he held the knife up, his hands shaking. It was clear to Brenton that the boy had never used the weapon before.

"Give me your keys." He said again, his voice colder.

Without another audible word the boy lunged forward, aimlessly swinging the blade with his eyes squeezed shut. It took no effort for Brenton to grab the boys arm and twist it back, forcing him to drop the knife as he cried out against the sudden pain. Brenton closed his hand over the boys face and pushed his head back against the wall with all of his force, feeling the crack as his skull hit the wall. The boy lifted his arms, moaning as he tried to fight against the hold on him. Laughing darkly, Brenton slammed his head against the wall again and again, watching the blood ooze down the wall and over his fingers.

When the ragged breathes finally stopped brushing over his hand, Brenton released the boy and let his body fall to the ground. He looked to the mouth of the alley, making sure that nobody was watching before he dragged the body as far back as the alley went and hid it amongst the trash and debris.

Kneeling beside the body, Brenton went through every pocket, finding the keys, a beaten cell phone and a duct tape wallet filled with the boys drug money. He smiled, tucking the money into his own pockets, the boy had sold a lot of 'grass' today.

Brenton looked down at the bloodied face, seeing the shadows crawling out from the broken skull to hide with their brethren. One more evil no one would miss. Brenton spit upon the boys face, swinging the keys around his finger as he walked outside of the alley. Looking back, he noticed the crinkled papers with their rotting tape against the wall. Adds for services and employment didn't concern him, but the aged paper renting out an old house outside of town, that one caught his eye. Brenton read over the paper before tearing it off of the wall and putting it into his pocket with the rest of the days spoils.

With a wide grin, Brenton climbed into the van, chuckling as it started right up. His first stop would be with the owner of the house, his second the old road he'd lived on all of those years ago.

The house was indeed outside of town, isolated from view of the modern world. It wasn't very big, and the boarded windows and chipping paint spoke to how lived in it had been. He had called the owner, and she had begrudgingly agreed to meet him there immediately to discuss rental. As he waited for her to arrive, he walked around the property, his ankles hiding beneath the uncut grass. No person in their right mind would pay to live here, but he wasn't exactly right, and he wouldn't need it long.

He was sitting on the rotted wooden porch, its boards creaking under his feet when her car finally pulled up the long road. He didn't anticipate much from her, her vehicle was just as run down as the house she was renting. Brenton winced as the woman stepped out of the car, her tangled blond curls pulled into a messy ponytail, exposing her wrinkled and overly tanned face. She was small, the skin hanging loosely from her bones in her shirt, tight clothes. Her arms covered in dark bruises where the track marks converged.

"You Jack?" She asked as she lit the cigarette hanging from her chapped lips.

"I am." He smiled charmingly. "You must be Ellen." he extended his hand, shuddering at her sweaty grip.

"Its four hundred a month." She said, getting straight to the point. "Utilities included, at least the ones that work."That's fine, can we look inside?"

Ellen shrugged her shoulders and unlocked the thick wooden door, stepping aside and letting him in. The dusty air was think in Brenton's lungs as he walked through the living room, its moldy corners and outdated furniture leaving a decaying odor in the room. It looked better then the outside, but not by much.

"It's got a living room, a bathroom, three bedrooms," She stopped to puff on the cigarette. "The stuff in the kitchen works, so does the heat if you kick the radiator."

"Its a nice enough house," Brenton lied as he looked around. "I'll take it."

"Payment up front." Ellen smiled, what teeth she still had were stained and rotting. "And I'll need you to sign a few papers."

"I'll give you six hundred if we can wait on the papers." He said, offering all of his charm. A name was easy enough to fake, but the rest was harder.

Ellen held out her shaking hand, waiting for the promised payment before saying another word. She snatched the bills away from Brenton, holding them against the bits of light from one of the remaining windows to make sure that they were real. She smiled, stuffing the money down her shirt and took Brenton's hand.

"Pleasure doing business with you. Here's your key, and I'll have the papers ready when next months rent is due."

"Perfect." Brenton said as he followed her out to her car. He waited until she was gone to let the smile fall. The place was a shit hole, not worth half of what he'd given her. It was falling apart, and he could feel the hands of the filth pulling at his pant legs as he'd walked through it. The darkness was strong in there, and he knew the demons within his son would roam free once there.

It was a long drive to his old street, and the further he went the more the world around him slipped away as the memories filtered before his eyes. The births of his children, the pride and love he'd felt. He didn't know how such evil had found its way into his home, but if it was the last thing he would do, he would finally free them of it.

The homes had been rebuilt, standing new against the late day sky without a hint of the past to burden their peace. Nothing remained of the fire's wrath, no scorch nor broken building. Everything he had known was gone, any remnant of his life there washed away. He drove slowly down the street, remembering the names and faces of his neighbors until he reached the spot that had once held his home. Looking at the modern house, he could see the ghosts of the flames dancing in the windows.

In the corner of his vision he saw them walking, a woman and boy with their hands wrapped around their chests as their mouths spoke words he couldn't hear. Looking at the distant faces as they slowly came closer his heart beat began to race. Could they really be so close? Unable to move, he watched them stop before the same house he had been watching, saw the boy fall into his mother's arms. Brenton watched as they walked back down the street to their car, not moving until they started to drive away. He followed them, staying as far back as he could to avoid suspicion. He could see the beast of flames staring at him through the cars windows, laughing its soundless laugh as he desperately trailed after them.

~.~

Audrey was up early that morning, dressed and ready for the yearly ritual before anyone else in the house had stirred. She spent long moments in front of the bathroom mirror, staring through her reflection, into her thoughts as they raced against her mind. Seven years ago today the final stone had been thrown, breaking the fragile glass that had held her seemingly perfect life in place. Everything that she had thought she'd known had been lost in those ravaging flames, leaving nothing but the bittersweet taste of ashes in her mouth.

It wasn't until after she splashed the cold water over her face that her mind finally cleared itself of the troubling thoughts, leaving her a moment to breath. As quietly as she could, she moved through the house toward the boys' room, gently knocking at the door. Drake had a right to know, no matter her feelings on the matter. It had been foolish to believe that she could keep the truth hidden away from her children forever, and it was only a matter of time before Meghan would want the truth as well. _At least, at least they had seven years of peace._ She told herself.

After another quick knock Audrey pushed open the door and stepped into the messy room, shaking her head. A knocked over bowl of popcorn sat in front of the television, the Nintendo still on from the previous night. Clothes lay everywhere, whether clean or dirty she didn't know, but she fought the urge to clean the room as she walked over to Drake's bed and shook him softly.

"It's time to get up." She said as he groaned and turned over. "Its time, Drake." Her tone became serious and quiet as she closed her eyes. If he stayed asleep, then maybe for one more year he could stay blissfully oblivious.

Drake rolled over onto his stomach, holding himself up on tired arms as he looked at her with half open eyes. "It's early..."

"It has to be." Audrey replied. "Its the best time for us to go."

Nodding without understanding what she meant, Drake pushed himself up and climbed out of bed. "I'll be down in a minute." He mumbled as he pulled clean clothes from the dresser and moved past her, toward the bathroom.

She was following Drake out when Josh shifted in his bed, looking at her with curious eyes. "Mom?"

She offered a smile as she moved closer to their eldest child. "I'm sorry we woke you, go back to sleep."

Josh shook his head, determined to know what was going on. Drake was never up this early if he didn't have to be. "Where are you guys going?"

"Drake's gonna help me with some running, that's all." One child was enough to give over to this darkness. "We'll be home later, take care of your sisters."

Josh didn't say anything as he watched his mother go, his thoughts on the strange behaviors that she and Drake had been exhibiting. Tonight, after Drake got home he would find out what was going on, because the worry was gnawing away at him and he couldn't stand it anymore.

Audrey was waiting at the door when Drake came down the stairs, a small brown bag in her hands. "I packed you some food." She said as she handed over the bag and started out the door. Even in these early hours it was beautiful outside. Just warm enough to chase away the chills that the day brought, but cool enough still to keep the heat from stirring more memories then she could bare. She knew that today her eyes would be clouded by those memories, that they would tear her apart and leave her bare. Nonetheless she wanted to be strong for as long as she could, for Drake's sake.

They climbed into the car together, seat belts fastened and eyes forward. She didn't say anything as Drake ate his peanut butter and jelly sandwich, nor as he offered her some of his chips. It took everything she had to keep her face straight and eyes dry as she drove to the flower shop. Every year she left them flowers, her own thanks and apology imbedded in every petal.

Begonias for her deep thoughts of sorrow. None of them had died for anything other then her ex husbands madness, and she would forever feel the guilt of its aftermath. Daisys for the innocence lost, that of the child who'd died and the adults who'd always been so sweet. Geraniums for comfort and Hyacinths for her sincerity in wishing them well where they'd ended up. Forget-me-nots to assure them that she would never forget and Zinnias for the friends they had been to her. For Jason, the man who had died to save her and Drake from the flames she added Daffodils, for the chivalry and sacrifice he had made.

She payed for the flowers, seeing the sadness behind the florists eyes as she wrapped the flowers and handed them over to her and Drake to carry out. Once they were outside the shop, Drake turned toward his mother, his eyes on the flowers. "What are they for?"

Her eyes fell to the flowers in her own hands, the tears starting to break free. "For those we lost, and the memories that we have to keep alive." She replied softly.

They laid the flowers gently down on the back seats before getting back in and driving toward the cemetery. Drake tapped his fingers against his knees, the questions building up within himself until he could stand it no longer. "Did they all die the night of the fire?" The words came out in a tangled rush.

Audrey nodded, her hands gripping the steering wheel tightly. "Brenton, your father, poured two canisters of gasoline inside and around the house, so when he lit the match the flames spread quickly."

"Did we go to the funerals?" He couldn't remember having been there.

"I went alone. You were in the hospital, and Meghan was with your grandmother. I've gone back every year to apologize..."

Drake shifted in his seat, watching her fight back the tears as she turned into the cemetery. "Why?" he whispered the question, afraid of hurting her.

Audrey stopped the car, leaning against the steering wheel as she wiped away the tears. "Because I knew there was something wrong with him, and I left it alone until it was too late."

Audrey said no more as she and Drake grabbed the flowers from the back, lake following her from Grave to Grave as she laid the flowers before the stones. At each stone Audrey knelt down, her head bowed in silent prayer as she apologized for the years that had been stolen from each of them. As she begged forgiveness for her ignorance to the evil that had lain beside her every night. The elderly man, the young mother and father. She cried the hardest at the grave of the child, who had been only four when she had died. Her hand against the stone, Audrey sang a soft lullaby, her voice breaking at the sobs tore through her.

It took long minutes for her to compose herself before she could go to the last stone. Taking deep breathes, she fought back the tears still unshed and forced herself to her feet, taking the last bundle of flowers from Drake.

"Jason lived next door to us," She said before he could ask. "The night your father snapped, when he was trying to," she choked on the words she hadn't said aloud for years. "To kill you." She whispered, her eyes squeezed shut against the tears. "Jason must have heard the screams, because he burst right into the house, came right to my side. I told him what was happening, and without waiting he ran toward your room, he stopped your father." she set the flowers down, whispering her deepest thanks as her fingers traced over his name. "He didn't care that your father had stabbed him, he still carried you out of your room, stopping to help me to my feet." Audrey turned toward Drake, her hand brushing over the scar hidden by his hair. "The ceiling caved in about then, a large piece fell onto the two of you. Jason shielded you from the majority of it, bit a piece still hit you. That's why you space out so much, why you can't quite concentrate..."

Drake's hand fell onto the scar, his eyes on the grave of the man that had saved him and his mother. He'd always believed that he wasn't as smart as everyone else, that the scar had nothing to do with it. "He died to get us out..."

Audrey nodded, her arms wrapped around her chest. "He saved us that night, so we can never forget him, any of them." The afternoon sun was rising, the clouds hiding its warmth from them as they stood completely still. Drake knelt beside the stone, whispering his own thanks. One selfless act had saved two lives that night.

The distant sounds of approaching cars pulled them from their thoughts as Audrey put a hand on Drake's shoulder. "We should go now." She said softly. She could face the dead, but to see those who still mourned them filled her with a guilt that couldn't be eased.

They went around the graves avoiding the mourners as they made their way back to their car. Once they were alone, Audrey let the rest of her tears fall, her body shaking as she pressed herself against the door. Drake could feel his own hurt building as he leaned over the seat, wrapping his arms around his mother in an attempt to comfort her, and chase away his own tears.

Almost an hour passed before the two were pressed against their individual seats, their eyes staring forward without seeing. Drake's fingers began tapping against his knees again to the beat of an unheard song as his thoughts returned to him. Without looking at his mother, he let the next question fall. "What happened after that?"

Audrey sighed, pressing her forehead against her hand. "Brenton was committed to the state asylum, he was obsessed with the thought that you were evil, that there was a demon inside of you. They put him on medicines to chase away visions, and I asked the doctor to make him forget."

"Forget what?" Drake asked, looking at her.

"Everything." She whispered loudly. "With enough medication and visits from a doctor, a person can forget anything. I didn't want him to remember us, to be tortured by whatever he thought was there. I hoped that without those memories, he might find some kind of peace." She shook her head, the scornful laugh leaving her pale lips. "I was wrong. He must have remembered something, to break out of that place and hurt more people... Something stayed with him."

"It's not your fault mom, none of it is." Drake assured her, resting his hand over hers. In the silence he could hear the hand of her watch click softly as the minute passed, exhaling deeply, he asked her his last question. "Your scar?"

"When I tried to take the knife away from him." She could still remember the sting of the blade as it had sliced into her with such ease. She had never seen so much of her own blood, felt more betrayed then in that brief moment. Audrey let the memories out on heavy breathes before starting the car. "Are you ready to go home?"

Drake shook his head, leaning against the door as his eyes fell over the distant graves. "Not yet."

Audrey nodded, fully understanding how he felt. With No particular destination in mind, she pulled the car out of the cemetery and simply drove. They made no stops, nor enjoyed any of the sights that passed them by as the tank of gas diminished. Hours went by without words between the two until finally, Audrey turned toward home. They couldn't stay away forever, and Walter would worry if she wasn't back by dinner.

Drake didn't stop in the kitchen for the pizza his father had ordered, with clouded eyes he went straight to his room. There was too much pain, too many haunting revelations inside of himself to have room for an appetite. His feet lead him to the worn in couch, his body knowing it was there let him safely fall upon it. He had known that his father had tried to kill him, that he had gone wrong... But to have killed so many people out of fear of some nonexistent monster?

He didn't hear Josh enter the room, nor did he acknowledge him as he sat down next to him. Drake could tell by the way Josh's breathing broke his thoughts what Josh wanted, and he didn't know where to begin.

When Drake didn't say anything Josh cleared his throat loudly, looking at the distress in Drake's eyes. "Drake, can I ask you something?" Josh asked, pushing the anxiety out of his voice.

"You want to know about mom, about what happened, don't you?" Drake's voice was distant as he avoided meeting Josh's gaze.

Josh nodded his head, realizing that Drake wasn't looking at him. "Yeah. I'm worried about her, about you too."

"You can't tell Meghan." Drake said sharply, his eyes moving to josh's and holding them with dangerous ferocity.

"I promise." Josh replied.

Drake let the deep breathes take over his throat in their attempt to ease his nerves. He'd wanted to talk to Josh for years, but now that he knew everything he was terrified of what Josh would think. "Seven years ago today," He began quietly. "My dad tried to kill me."

Josh stared at his brother in disbelief. "Why?" He whispered, his shock making the words thick.

Shaking his head, Drake slowly lifted his shirt to show Josh the scar. "He was crazy, he thought that there was a demon living inside of me, that I was evil." Drake hissed bitterly. "He would watch me sleep, even tried to strangle me. Mom knew that something was wrong, but she couldn't believe it I guess. Then he set our house on fire, and the flames spread to the closest houses..." Drake turned away from Josh, his anger causing his fisted hands to shake. "Five people died that night, one of them," He exhaled loudly. 'One of them died to get mom and me out of the house."

Josh didn't know what to say. No one spoke of Drake and Meghan's dad, not even them. To hear all of this horror as the first impression of the man who had been their father, it broke Josh's heart. Seeing that scar, knowing that while hiding it, Drake had had to live with those memories as the last of his dad was shattering. "What," Josh began softly. "What happened to him?"

Drake pushed himself to his feet, pacing around the room before he could speak. "He was put in the crazy house, but the other day, he broke out. Its been all over the news, and they haven't caught him yet."

Josh had seen the story in passing, but he'd never linked the man to his own family, without Drake telling him he never would have let himself believe it. "I'm sorry..." He hated that it was all he could think to say.

Drake shook his head as he walked toward the window, gazing out into the growing darkness, those last rays of sunlight like distant fire. "He's out there somewhere, looking for us." Drake whispered, more to himself then Josh.

Josh pushed himself off of the couch and went to Drake's side, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I won't let him hurt you." Josh promised as the chill ran through them both.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

**A/N:** So, the _introduction_ to the story lasted a lot longer then expected, but have no fear, things will start picking up from here. Fun fact: The first chapter was actually written as an individual one shot I did to pass the time a few weeks ago, it wasn't intended for this story. But after writing it and deciding that I wanted to put more into it the story began. I'm actually writing this fic alongside the original story, which has so far been really interesting. Getting back to the point of this note, I know it took a while to, _set the stage_, and I want to thank everyone who's still with me on this. It should be picking up after this, and I hope that you will all enjoy it.


	6. The growing storm

Brenton paced the dirty wooden floors of his new living room, his fingers twitching as his hands shook. He could see the dust swirling under every step, circling endlessly as the the husks of dead bugs stretched their lifeless limbs toward him. The air whistled through their empty throats as the hollow sockets of their eyes stared into his own, begging him to end their eternal suffering. Obliging, Brenton crushed every dry body his feet could find, those final crunches seeming so much louder then the muffled screams from the other room.

He had no clear memory of how he had gotten then into the van, only that a nicely sized dent had been made to the side of the vehicle, blue paint embedded into the scratches. He had brought them here before the had woke, and he had been waiting, pacing the floors while he tried to shake the uncertainty from himself. Something about them wasn't right, their faces didn't make sense.

"Someone help us." The woman's sobbing voice drifted through the house, her son's hushed voice speaking too low for Brenton to hear.

With heavy steps Brenton went toward the room furthest back, his eyes following the remnants of flame shaped footprints from earlier. The door screeched on its rusted hinges as he pushed it open, his eyes falling and the mother and son he'd chained to the radiator in the corner.

The boys hazel eyes lit up as he glared at Brenton, the blood trailing down his face making them brighter. "What do you want from us?" He asked sharply, putting himself in front of his mother.

"Where's Meghan?" Brenton asked, looking around the room. He swore that he'd seen her when he had brought them in.

"We don't know a Meghan." The woman said as she wrapped her arms around her son, trying to force him to hide behind her.

"Don't lie to me!" Brenton yelled, making them jump. "You couldn't have forgotten your own daughter."

The woman shook her head. "I have two sons, there were never any daugh-" Her head snapped back as Brenton hit her.

"Keep your hands of of her!" The boy yelled as he moved forward to attack Brenton, the chain around his wrist holding him just out of reach.

Brenton stepped toward the boarded up window, ripping one of the looser planks away with his bare hands. He didn't feel the splinters at they cut into his hands, drawing thin lines of blood from the calloused flesh. He smacked the board against his palm, snagging the bent nail across his outstretched finger. He couldn't feel the tearing of flesh, just the heat of his blood.

"Where is Meghan?" He asked again, his voice cold.

The boy stood his ground in front of his mother, their former argument lost to him as he watched Brenton step closer. "I don't have a sister! Why are we here?" He demanded, his voice shaking with fear and anger.

"I need to kill the demon, I need to save everyone." Brenton muttered, his annoyance growing. The boy was right in front of him, but he couldn't see the demon anymore. It must be hiding somewhere, somewhere inside of him. "Stop hiding demon!" Brenton screamed as he swung the plank, hitting the boy across the chest.

The mother screamed as the boy cried out, falling to his knees as he held his stomach where the nail had torn through his shirt. As soon as she saw Brenton move to swing again she threw herself over her son, spots exploding across her vision as the plank hit her back.

"Why are you doing this?" She choked between sobs. He had smashed into their car and brought them here, not saying a word.

Brenton dropped to his knees, cupping his hands over her shaking face. He looked into her blue eyes, confused at the color. Audrey's eyes were brown. "Whats wrong with your eyes?" He demanded, squeezing her face. He stared into them, seeing in flashes Audrey's face, then her own. Who was this woman? He began to shake her violently, desperate for those glimpses of the face he had sought for so long. "Audrey, Audrey I'm sorry I hit you." He stuttered as he watched the eyes change color again.

The woman brought her hands up, grabbing his arms to try and stop the shaking that was leaving her dizzy. "I'm not Audrey, my name is Carol. Please, let me take my son home, please." She begged, the tears falling from her constantly changing eyes.

Brenton watched the flickering color and pushed himself to his feet. This sobbing woman couldn't be Audrey, she was too weak. His fingers wrapped around the board in his hands, his grip tightening until his blood ran down its length. He kept his eyes focused on hers, watching every tear that fell as he pulled his hand back, ready to swing. He had seen the demon in their car, he knew he had. It had been leading him away, distracting him!

He let the anger take control as he swung the plank, smashing the crooked nail into the woman's head as the splinters continued to break off in his hand. He kept eye contact with her, watching the browns turn to blue as her eyes rolled back and she slipped into unconsciousness. He watched as she fell onto her son who could only glare at Brenton as the shock started to course through him.

The boy moved our from under his mother, holding holding her barely breathing body in his arms as tears filled his eyes. "Mom?" He shook her lightly, seeing the blood from her head slowly covering his hands. "Mom!" The boy turned toward Brenton, his trembling lips twisting into the silent scream building within himself. "Bastard."

Brenton felt the grin growing over his own face as he started to see the demons flames seeping from the boys shaking fingers, liquid fire snaking over the body of his mother and crawling inside. So, the demon needed to be provoked. How many people had the creature inhabited? Brenton didn't want to know, he just knew that they were all the minions of the one he had to kill, all set to keep him away from Drake.

"Where's your master, demon?" Brenton asked.

The boy shook his head. "You're crazy! They're going to lock you up and throw away the key!" The more he tried to stop himself from shaking, the worse the tremors became.

"They already did." Brenton swung the plank, hitting the boys arm. He heard the bone snap as the fires around the boy grew, almost consuming him. "Where's Drake?"

"Fuck you..." The boy muttered, holding his arm as he tried to fight off tears. He had to stay in control of himself, to find a way to get his mom out.

"Drake Parker, where is he?" Brenton demanded again, hitting the boy's bent knee. He could see the evil bursting out with every hit, evaporating in the musty air.

The boys face dropped to the floor, his eyes on his mother's pained face. They were both going to die here, and accepting that terrified him. "I go to school with a Drake Parker, if you let us go, I'll tell you where he lives." The boy begged, knowing nothing else he could do.

Brenton smiled, kneeling down at looking into the boys red eyes. "Where is he?"

"He lives on east mulberry street." The boy said, his voice shaking. "Can we go now?" So full of pain and anger, it was hard for him to keep calm, but if he upset the man who had brought them here, then there was no hope of getting away.

Brenton stood back up, the board still in his hands. "The evil is in you both." he stated simply as he hit the boy over the head. Over and over he smashed the aged plank against their bodies, watching the dying fires rise and wither into streams of tainted shadow. With no other bodies around the shadows grew faint, dying in the small beams of late day sunlight creeping in through the window.

Brenton hit them until their faces were smashed and unrecognizable, and their blood covered the floor and wall. Without a word he dropped the plank and unlocked the chains around their wrists, dragging each body toward the basement door. Without hesitance he threw each body down into the uncaring darkness, listening to every thud as they hit the stairs. He didn't look back at them as he shut the door and washed the blood off of his hands, didn't think about them at all. The demon had been in the boy, had gone to his mother, it was expected that they be killed. Less minions would bring less distraction, and he would save his own family before the creatures could take over the rest of them.

He waited until the warm air within the house had dried his hands to go back outside. East Mulberry street, he was sure that he could find it by dark. It was on a nicer side of town, one that would make bringing them back much harder. Digging his hands into his pockets for the keys to the van, Brenton found the bottles of medications he was supposed to be taking. He stared at them for drawn out moments, reading the names and dosages before letting them fall into the dirt of the driveway. He didn't need those anymore, they would only stop him from seeing the truth.

~.~

Audrey pushed the empty coffee mug away from herself, silently debating whether she needed another cup. She'd been feeling better since she had woken up, not quite herself, but better. It always started to get easier after the day of the anniversary, being able to let go for another year. Maybe one day, it wouldn't be so hard on her to remember what had happened.

She looked up as Meghan entered the kitchen, her dark hair hanging over her shoulders. She smiled at her mom, seeing the slight change in demeanor. "Good morning." She greeted cheerfully as she grabed a yogurt from the fridge.

Pushing the coffee mug away, Audrey stood up and walked toward her daughter, pulling her into a tight hug. "I love you." She whispered.

"I love you too." Meghan replied, confused. "Is everything okay?"

Audrey pulled back, offering a warm smile as she turned toward the window above the sink. "Everything's fine." She started as her eyes fell upon the distant clouds, seeing the approaching storm. Picnics cut early as he would laugh, naming the clouds and estimating when the first drops would fall. In the plethora of bad memories, she always forgot the moments that had kept her by his side. The way he would hold her under those cold raindrops, kissing her as the thunder roared around them.

"Mom?" Meghan asked, though she knew her mom was somewhere else, lost in a world she couldn't see.

Audrey blinked her eyes, chasing away the memories of his smile, his warm touch. "Its going to rain tonight." She said quietly, turning away from the window.

Meghan nodded, seeing the distance growing in her mothers eyes again. Seeing her mom's mood switch like this was driving her crazy. "Mom, whats going on?" She asked bluntly.

"Nothing." Audrey lied too quickly. It was evident that Meghan knew something was wrong. _Please,_ She silently begged, _Just let it go another year... _Talking to Drake had been hard enough, and he still remembered.

"It has something to do with the fire, doesn't it?" Meghan's voice dropped, her eyes staring into Audrey's.

Audrey felt her shoulders fall as the heavy sigh escaped her throat. She nodded, wanting that to be enough.

"What happened? I, I remember a fire, and then dad was gone..." She knew that she could probably find it on the internet, but something inside of her had always been afraid of looking.

Audrey grabbed the empty mug and took it over to the coffee maker, avoiding Meghan's gaze as she scooped out the beans. "Your dad did something really bad, and people got hurt." She shook her head, feeling the tears in her eyes. "People died."

Meghan stepped closer to her mom, trying to sort out her own memories. There had been a fire, and she had been sent to her grandmothers while Drake was in the hospital... She'd forgotten that week without her brother, how afraid she had been. "Why did he do it?" Meghan asked, following her mother's gaze out the window.

"He lost something, something in his mind broke and it couldn't be fixed." Audrey whispered loudly. "no more talk of it tonight, okay?" She asked, forcing the tears back.

Without another word Meghan nodded, seeing that Audrey needed to be alone. She felt the same way, and she knew the only way to get the full truth would be to find it herself, whether she really wanted to know or not. Meghan grabbed a spoon from the drawer near the sink and headed toward the stairs, watching a Josh stumbled down while trying to slip into his work vest.

"boob." She said softly out of habit as she moved past him.

Josh turned watching her downcast face as she said nothing else to him. She was never so quiet... Seeing Meghan acting so strangely made him think of Drake and Audrey, and he could only wonder if she knew more then Drake thought she did. _Of course she does.._. Josh thought to himself as he slipped into his shoes. _She always knows._

Stepping outside, Josh could feel the first drops of rain as they hit him, cold and merciless. Cursing the storm he ran to the car and hurried inside, rubbing the chill from his arms as he started the car. In his hurry he barely noticed the beat up utility van parked just a few houses down, nor the man sitting inside, watching him.

~.~

Drake sat on his bed, watching the rain assault his window as the lightning flashed across the sky. Since he had talked to Josh last night he'd barely left his room. He'd ignored the texts from the girls who wanted to see him, his mothers attempts at getting him to relax. Knowing so much about what had happened, he just wanted to stay hidden away from the world. The more he tried to understand why his father had snapped, the more his head hurt.

Cursing the scar hidden under his hair, Drake let his face fall into his hands. Like private raindrops, the tears ran down his arms, leaving a salted trail for the ones that would follow. It made him feel so weak to do nothing but cry, but in these moments when that liquid pain was his only company, what else could he do?

Drake listened to the rain drops hit the window, their light pattering turning into a heavy drumming. As the storm grew worse his thoughts turned deeper into himself, running over every memory he had as a child. So many of those days had been full of warm smiles, love and happiness that had seemed never ending. Nowhere in his mind could he find whatever had changed, what he had done to make his father see such evil in him. He'd only been ten, what could he have done?

_You didn't do anything..._ A voice in the back of his mind whispered. Drake wanted to believe that voice, but its presence scared him. What if he was crazy too? _Like father like son.._. The voice snickered.

"I'm not like him." Drake whispered, catching his reflection in the window. It was like looking at a ghost, seeing his transparent reflection as the rain poured though him. He looked so much like the man from his memories, almost an exact copy. "I'll never be like you." Drake said, raising his voice so that the reflection could hear him.

The thunder roared its reply, its booming voice laughing at him. Drake knotted his fingers in his blankets, his hands shaking with quiet rage. The brilliant flash of the lightning as it stretched across the sky reflected in his eyes, like white fire. In that singular instant he swore he saw it, a mass of writhing fire in the shape of an unknown beast. The scream bought in his throat as his body froze, prisoner to the beasts rage.

"You aren't real." Drake told the beast, finding his voice. The next flash brought the beast closer, its eyes reflected in his own as its jaws twisted into a taunting smile. "Go away!" Drake yelled, squeezing his eyes closed.

The sudden knocking at the door startled him, nearly bringing forth the trapped scream from his throat. He opened his eyes, looking briefly to the door before checking the window for the beast. It was gone.

"Drake," Audrey pushed open the door, checking the room before setting her eyes on her shaken son. "Are you okay?"

Drake nodded, releasing his grip on the blanket. "I'm fine." He lied on heavy breathes.

Audrey closed the door before walking across the room, taking Drake's hand in her own. "I know its hard right now, but it'll get better." She said, offering him a tired smile.

Drake slipped his hand away from hers, wrapping his arms across his knees. "Do you think that I'm like him?" He asked quietly.

"Not at all." Audrey assured him.

"Do you think I'll go crazy?" His voice was barely a whisper as he turned his eyes back to the window. The wind was whistling through the trees as the branches danced violently, their leaves being ripped away.

Audrey shook her head, her eyes following the leaves as they were carried away from the safely of their branches. "You will never be the man your father is. The evil that torments him is his alone."

Drake tore his eyes away from the world outside, looking deep into his mother's eyes for an answer to everything he was feeling. She was so sure of her words, so certain that the wrong traits hadn't been gifted at birth. Her eyes were sincere, but he couldn't share that belief, not now.

"Its going to be okay." Audrey said strongly, seeing Drake's unease.

Drake simply nodded, knowing that nothing he could say would make him believe like she did. "I'm tired." He said, just wanting to be alone again.

Audrey nodded, taking the hint and walking back toward the door. "I love you." She said softly, watching his silhouette against the lightning.

"Love you too." Drake replied numbly as he pushed himself under the blankets.

Audrey turned off the lights and stepped out of the room. For long moments she stood there, her back pressed against the door as the tears burnt in her brown eyes. How long would Brenton's madness haunt them? Seeing Drake suffer so, her own turmoil these last seven years seemed so insignificant. It was easy for her to let the pain run its course without fear that the madness would overtake her, but for Drake... That same blood ran through his veins, that face echoed his own.

"Rain, rain, go away..." Drake mumbled the childhood melody as the rain continued to beat against his window. "Come again, a better day." He begged as the silent tears fell over his cheeks. He pulled the blanket up over his head, hiding from the monsters looming in the darkness. "I just want to be okay, so please, go away..." He whispered as he closed his eyes and waited for sleep to take him.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

**A/N: **Okay, so updates may be slower for two reasons: I got a puppy, and training her takes up most of my free time. And I seem to have possibly sprained my shoulder, which is incredibly painful and makes typing really hard. I'm sorry for the inconvenience.


	7. Burning Pennies

Brenton had watched the moon crawl across the endlessly dark sky, its ever moving light leaving only darkness behind. Hidden within the heavy storm clouds the twinkling light of dead stars meant nothing, offered no comfort. Those fires had burnt out years ago, and in time the stars themselves would know it. They wold fall, one by one until only the moon remained, its changing shape bringing luminescence to an otherwise dark world. Saving the lost from the evils within the shadows.

In the somber hours he'd spent alone within the van, watching the house through the curtain of rain he'd done nothing but remember. With every violent flash of lightning his mind alternated between the memories of love, and the fears of what he knew was there. He knew that it was his son who he was going to kill, and under the need to save his untainted family, he still loved the boy. How could he not? Drake had been his first born, an almost perfect replica of himself, of his father before him.

Brenton hadn't thought of his own father in countless years. The thunder growled, rattling the skies the way his father's voice had shaken the walls of their small apartment. Drinking away his misery as he cursed the accusing voices in his head. Brenton had never admitted to anyone that he had been overjoyed when the abuse had finally killed him, setting himself and his mother free. He'd swore that day that he would never be like his father, never cruel and without compassion. When the poison coursed through his mind he could almost hear him, laughing at how he had fallen. He had inherited his father's features, and Drake had shared that curse.

Alone in the grasp of the storm, Brenton couldn't vanquish the monsters hiding within his memories. The remnants of his father gave way to the beast of flames, its jaws like stained ivory daggers dripping molten saliva as its eyes glowed with destructive intent. Its skin the burning copper of new pennies, charred and shining. The scars on his face felt all the more real as he remembered the rising flames, the look in Audrey's eyes... Those scars, though made with her nails reflected its talons. He'd been bleeding the effects of that night in rapid memories for years, suffering for his failures, and he knew there was only one way to make it all stop.

The time to act was upon him, and even so far from the house he could feel the flames against his skin. It was only a matter of time before the beast lead the police here, until he was stopped again. He wouldn't let the monster rise and destroy the only things he still loved. But to kill the beast, he had to destroy its host. Brenton leaned forward, picking up a half smoked cigarette from the dirty floor, and the grimy penny that lay beside it. He lit the cigarette, his lungs tightening at the stale taste as he held the penny between his fingers. The fire's reflection danced in his eyes as he watched the smoke rise from the melting grime, the skin of his fingers burning as the pennies ridges imbedded themselves in his flesh.

Brenton's eyes shifted from his burning fingers to the spider dangling from the van's ceiling, its long thin legs reaching out to him, pointing him toward the house. He watched the lighters flame reflect in its otherwise cold, beady eyes. Without knowing why, Brenton tore the flame away from the penny and held it under the spider, watching it scramble to get away as its line of web broke. It couldn't go home anymore. The thin hairs of its singed body left a trail of smoke as it tried to crawl on broken legs to safety, its eyes burnt and unable to see. Brenton felt no pity for the insect as it curled up and withered, the shadows of its existence disappearing in the firelight.

He'd watched the house all night and into the morning, seeing faces he didn't know come and go. A man, and a boy, both with the same brown hair and large heads. It had been foolish to believe that Audrey wouldn't move on. That she would wait for him as he had waited for the memory of her. In passing glimpses he saw her through the windows, walking about the house every bit as beautiful as he remembered her. His heart nearly stopped when he saw Meghan, so grown up and as lovely as her mother. Inside those transparent walls was a seemingly normal family, living an unhindered life. It was as if the beast had lain dormant all these years, waiting for him to come back.

Brenton tore his thoughts away from the life Audrey had found while his own had been destroyed, setting himself to the task at hand. He could see the white hot shadows of the flames around the house, leaving its skeleton dry despite the storm from the night before. He watched the man leave again, followed a few hours later by his son. It wasn't as easy as going into the house and taking his family back, no, he needed to bring them back to him.

~.~

Josh knew that he was going to be late. Looking at apartments was a big step, and he wasn't entirely sure that they were ready to take it. Mindy had narrowed their options of an apartment to two that she liked, and they were supposed to meet for lunch before making their decision. As excited as he was to be moving in with Mindy, the thought of leaving his family now tore at him. Until Drake and Meghan's dad was found, he didn't feel like they were really safe. He'd promised Drake that he wouldn't let anything happen to him, and if he left now...

Josh walked toward car, checking his watch as he fumbled for the keys. The longer minute hand was lazily making the transition to the small dot that represented the seventeen. He was supposed to be at the restaurant in thirteen minutes. Even if he broke the speed limit and blew through every stop, he knew he wouldn't make it there on time. Shaking his head, Josh pulled his cellular phone from his pocket to text Mindy and let her know that he'd be late.

He was looking at his watch again, seeing the hands move as the unseen gears pushed them forward when he heard the crash. The loud thud of an old toolbox accompanied by the clatter of various tools as they hit the asphalt. Josh turned his eyes toward the sound, seeing the beaten utility van from the day before, still parked in the same place. He couldn't see the owner through the open back doors, but he could hear the low mumbling as the man knelt down to pick up his tools.

"Do you need any help?" he called out as he looked again to his watch. He was already going to be late.

The man stayed hidden behind the doors as he stood up, wiping his hands on his dirty jeans. "If it wouldn't be any trouble, Damn toolbox is always falling apart."

Josh shoved his keys back into his pocket and walked over to the spilled tools, gathering a few in his hands before stepping around the open doors. Even though the collar of the man's coat was pulled up, he could see the scars. The same ones that Drake's father had.

That brief moment of paralyzing realization was all Brenton needed, and before Josh could move or speak he smashed the wrench over the boys head, watching as he crumpled onto the road. Brenton wasted no time hoisting the dazed boy into the van and using the zip ties to bind his wrists and ankles. A quick look over his shoulders assured him that no one had been watching and he threw the rest of the tools in before slamming the doors shut behind him.

There were dying traces of ash all over the boy where the fire had touched him. His half open eyes were clear of the flame, the demon's presence was nowhere within him. "Who are you?" Brenton asked as he watched the boy shake his head to clear his vision.

"You're Drake's dad, aren't you?" Josh asked as his head pounded violently.

"I am." Brenton replied, there was no point in lying. "Who are you?" He demanded again.

"Josh..." He squeezed his eyes against the throbbing as he pulled at the plastic ties around his wrists. "I'm Drake's brother." He added, knowing it would be the next question asked.

"Then you know the beast." Brenton spat, glaring at the boy with discontent.

"What beast?" Josh asked. Drake had told him that his father had thought there was evil in him. "I know Drake, but there isn't any beast."

"Don't play dumb with me." Brenton growled, backhanding him. "There is no Drake, not anymore."

Josh could feel the tears burning in his eyes, but he refused to let them fall. "No, there's no monster. You're sick, you need to see a doctor."

Brenton hit him again, splitting his lip. "You're too blind to see it, so were the doctors. If I don't kill him, then the beast will kill them all."

Until hearing Brenton say it, Josh had wanted to believe that it wasn't true. That Drake's own father really wanted to kill him. "He's your son!"

"That thing isn't my son." Brenton replied. "It took my son and turned him into a monster. I need to stop it, before it can hurt Audrey, or Meghan." Brenton leaned forward, his hand reaching for the cell phone in Josh's pocket. He would bring them to him, because he knew that once the deed was done he wouldn't have time to see them.

"What are you doing?" Josh's voice rose as he tried to move away, his muscles tensing as the hand pulled the phone from his pocket.

Brenton didn't answer as he flipped the phone open and searched through the contacts until he found Drake's name. He'd seen people using their phones to communicate without calling, he just wasn't sure how it was done. If Drake heard his voice then he would never come, and he didn't trust this, Josh not to warn him. "How do I use this?" He asked, staring at the frightened boy.

Josh shook his head, making his face as cold as possible. "I won't help you kill him."

Brenton set the phone down and grabbed Josh by the hair as he pulled the old knife from his pocket and flipped it open. He pulled Josh's head back, pressing the blade against his exposed throat. "He's already dead." Brenton whispered loudly. "He just doesn't know it yet,, and neither do the others. You'll help me get him out here, or I'll slit your throat and leave your body on the front step, with a cute little note about how its his fault."

Josh closed his eyes, the tears he'd been trying to hold back finally falling away from his blue eyes. He'd made a promise, but he didn't want to die, not like this. "Okay," His voice shuddered as the simple word drifted through the stagnant air.

~.~

Drake was sitting on the floor in his room, his back pressed against the wall. In the shallow space of darkness under the window he could see the dust particles dancing in the beams of afternoon sunlight just beyond his feet. To and fro the dainty particles drifted through the light, disappearing as the moved away from its warmth and hit the floor. Right now, he wanted to be one of those particles, existing in reality for just a brief, carefree moment before settling away.

The bowl of cereal was cold in his hands, sending occasional chills through his arms and down his hunched over spine. Drake tore his eyes away from the light and looked into his bowl, reading the unintentional words the alphabet shaped cereal spelled. Some of the words were simple, like _run_ and _fire_. Others he wasn't even sure were really there, words so dark that he must be imagining them. _Death, beware..._ He could only wonder at what the creators of the cereal had expected of the puffy letters when they placed them in the box. Did they choose certain letters, hoping to send a message to those who ate them?

Beside the letters were marsh mellows, their bright colors dissolving into the milk as the sugar wasted away. _We all waste away... _Drake thought solemnly as he moved the spoon, breaking the words. He didn't have much of an appetite, but the routine helped to ease his mind from everything troubling him. A comforting action, something normal.

He'd watched Josh get ready to meet Mindy, and he knew that soon this room would be too big, too empty. After seven years together, he had hoped that Josh would never leave, that he would always have his best friend just steps away. It seemed cruel that his leaving was happening alongside the anniversary of his own near death. Like the world was leaving him utterly alone in his despair.

It would be selfish to expect Josh stay forever, but he was selfish at times. Taking more then he gave and always expecting someone to be there when he fell. With a heavy sigh Drake set the half eaten cereal aside and wrapped his arms around his legs, resting his head on his knees. In a few hours, Josh would be home, maybe then he would feel alive again.

~.~

Audrey was sitting on the couch, Meghan on the other end texting her friends when the soap opera she was watching was interrupted by the emergency news report. Two people, a mother and son of eerily close resemblance to herself and Drake had been missing for about a day. Carol and Kevin hadn't been seen since they had left their home on the very block where Audrey had used to live. Carol's car had been found on the side of a road, the back doors smashed in by an unknown vehicle.

She didn't know how, but Audrey knew it must have been Brenton. Their old home, the resemblance... If it had been Brenton, then she knew she would have two new stones to offer flowers to, to beg forgiveness of. She hid her face from her young daughter as the tears spilled over her cheeks, the guilt coursing through her. How many people would suffer at the hands of Brenton's madness? Audrey couldn't deny the relief she felt that it hadn't been Drake, and it sickened her.

"Mom?." Meghan said, gently shaking her mother's leg as the phone started to ring.

"I'm okay." Audrey lied before forcing herself off of the couch and toward the phone. It was almost on its last ring when she finally picked it up and pressed it against her ear. "Hello?"

"Hi, Audrey it's Mindy." Mindy's soft voice came over the line, a hint of worried buried under her normally pleasant tone. "Is Josh there?"

"He left almost an hour ago to meet you for lunch." Audrey replied, her gut sinking as she looked back at the television. He couldn't have found them, not so soon...

"He never showed up, and he's not answering his phone. I only called because he's never late for anything..." Her voice trailed off as her anxiety grew.

Audrey walked toward the front of the house, looking outside to see the car gone. "The cars gone," She reported distantly. "I'm sure he'll be there soon. It's been a bit stressful here..." She muttered as she shut the door and walked back toward the living room, her eyes on Meghan.

Mindy sighed heavily, the sound of her fingers drumming against the phone flowed softly through. "Thank you. If, if he doesn't show up I'll call you back." She said before hanging up and leaving the line dead.

Audrey pulled the phone away from her ear and dialed Josh's number, tapping her feet as it rang. She told herself over and over that nothing was wrong, that her mind was jumping to impossible conclusions. Brenton didn't know Josh, surly he wouldn't hurt a stranger... The voice mail cut into her thoughts, prompting her to leave a message. "Josh, its mom, Mindy just called looking for you. She's worried, and, so am I. Call me back when you get this, okay? I love you."

The phone was still clutched tightly in her hands as she fell back onto the couch, her fingers grazing over the numbers. Her mind was whispering warnings based on fears that she didn't want to acknowledge, if she let them rule her mind then they became too real. Brenton wouldn't find them. She told herself, forcing the words to be true. The police would find him and everything was going to be okay.

~.~

Drake was sitting at the desk, building misshapen towers out of loose change when his phone vibrated in his pocket. He set the penny on top, watching his towers finally tip and clatter as the change fell over the desk and floor. His eyes fell over the scattered coins, blinking rapidly as the suns light reflected off of one of the newer pennies. These days, it seemed the sunlight did nothing but hurt and remind him.

Drake flipped the phone open, the message was from Josh. _'Hey bro, I need your help.'_

_'With what?'_ He typed back, waiting for the reply.

_'Just come down the street, and don't tell mom.'_ Josh texted back.

Drake stared at the message uncertainly. It was one thing for him to go about doing things behind their mother's back, but Josh was never so secretive. Intrigued by whatever his brother was up to, Drake threw on some clothes before texting that he'd be there soon. It would be good to get out of the house, to stop feeling so trapped.

~.~

Brenton smiled as he closed the phone and placed it within his pocket. He had moved Josh's car shortly after being shone how to use the phone, and now everything was falling into place. His eyes fell over the boy sitting in the corner of the van, the silver tape muffling his continuous pleads. He would need this one to make the beast come out, only when the monster was fully present would he be able to destroy it.

"Be quiet." Brenton said harshly as he peered out the windows, waiting for Drake. His hand fell over another penny on the floor, this one cleaner then the one from the previous night. As if in a trance he picked it up and held the lighter under it, feeling the cool metal slowly warm as it burnt his skin. For something so ordinary and plain to be so like the creature that had taken his son astounded him.

Ignoring the pain of the burn, Brenton leaned toward Josh and pressed the burning coin against his neck, drowning in the boys pain filled shrieks. The fire had hurt him. Satisfied that the beast hadn't infiltrated this one, Brenton sat back, waiting for Drake to appear.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

**A/N:** As promised, things are starting to pick up now. The reason behind Mindy and Josh moving in together is because in the alternate version of the story, Drake's older brother is moving in with his girlfriend, and I'm too lazy to fully change it... A lot of this chapter was based on weird messages that I sleep texted myself, hence all of the talk of pennies. I really wanted to use the messages in the story. Hope you've enjoyed this chapter.


	8. Gathering

Brenton blinked his eyes rapidly, trying to chase away the shadows creeping along the edges of his vision. He hadn't been so close to the beast in years, and just knowing that soon it would be before him sent a foreign sense of fear through his body. He hadn't felt that prickling on the back of his neck since that first night, watching the slivers of fiery light crawl through the house, into the being that had once been his son.

The shadows crawled across his eyes, trying to hide the creature from him as it stepped outside of the house, the flames leaving the high walls of the building and collecting at the boys feet. He watched as sparks ignited with every step, fire burning deep within the far away eyes. If not for the monster within, the boy would have been exactly like himself at that age.

Brenton turned toward Josh, placing a finger against his lips and demanding silence. If the beast suspected anything there was no knowing what to do. If he ran and informed the authorities then his chance to save his family was lost. If he let them die to the flames he would never forgive himself.

As Drake drew closer Brenton slowly opened the back door, keeping Josh out of sight as he stepped outside. He could feel the heat against his skin, the sweat forming in annoying droplets as his hands began to shake._ It has to be done._ He told himself, sighing deeply as his hand moved to the knife within his pocket and his eyes scanned the area.

"Dammit..." Brenton muttered under his breath as he saw the family of a nearby house moving out toward their car. He slammed the door to the van shut and moved around to the front, climbing in angrily and putting the keys in the ignition. He moved the van, hearing Josh shift in the back as he drove toward the end of the block, his eyes never leaving the image of Drake in the rear view mirror.

After rounding the corner and making sure no one else was near he parked the van, turning in his seat to glare as Josh. "Do anything stupid and I'll kill you." He warned as he again stepped out of the vehicle.

Josh's eyes glanced anxiously around the van, there were tools everywhere. If he was fast, then he was sure he could cut through the ties around his wrists and ankles, but if Brenton found out, if he had Drake in his grasp, that knife at his throat... He couldn't risk Drake being hurt, though every bit of him knew that he needed to protect Drake from his father. He'd promised.

Pushing himself to his knees, he glanced out the window, seeing Drake at the corner looking around confused. He'd only have one chance to warn him, and if it didn't work. Josh pushed thoughts of failure out of his mind as he prepared himself for what he was about to do. Right now, it didn't matter what happened to him. It took every ounce of strength he possessed to push himself to the front of the van with his ankles bound, to hoist himself into the passenger seat. Holding his breath, Josh lifted his legs and kicked the passenger window, the first time only caused a dull thud, the second shattered the glass. As soon as the window was broken, despite the tape covering his mouth he screamed as loudly as he could.

~.~

Drake was standing at the corner, Josh nowhere in sight. He was pulling his phone out from his pocket when the distant thud hit his ears, followed by the shattering of glass. His eyes found the beaten van before his ears heard the muffled scream. Instantly he saw Josh there, his eyes pleading desperately as the silver tape prevented his warnings.

Drake could feel his feet turning to run as his mind stayed behind, worried about his brother. He didn't know what was happening, only that he needed to find help as quickly as possible. Hesitating only a moment more, he heard the angry yell from behind the van, a voice he hadn't heard outside of his nightmares in years. Frozen in fear, Drake watched as his father emerged from behind the van, the dirty knife glimmering in the sunlight.

If he ran, then Josh would surely be hurt, if he stayed, they would both suffer. He didn't want to leave Josh to his father's mercy, but if he didn't get help they were both doomed. He didn't make it far before his phone started ringing, Josh's ring tone sounding loudly in his ears. Drake's hands were shaking as he pressed the phone against his ear, the heavy beating of his heart drowning out the static.

"You'll come back here boy, or I'll kill him." His father said on heavy breaths. He could hear Josh's continued wordless pleads.

"Let him go, and I'll come back." Drake said, trying to sound stronger then he felt. He was terrified, but he wouldn't let Josh suffer for him.

Brenton smiled, pressing his thumb against the burn mark from the penny, letting Josh's muffled scream flood through the phone. "Get back here now, Drake." He spat the name as he ended the call.

Drake didn't feel the phone falling from his shaking hands as he walked back toward the van, each step heavier then the last. He couldn't see Josh in the front seat anymore, and the fear that filled him threatened to leave him still in his tracks. He pressed on, looking as his father near the open back door. There were tears in his eyes as his father grabbed his arm, holding him against his chest with the knife to his throat.

"You should have run, demon." Brenton growled as he forced Drake into the van.

There were tears in Josh's pained eyes as he watched Drake comply with his father, wincing as the plastic ties were tightly closed over his wrists. He let his eyes voice the apology that his words were incapable of forming. He'd promised to protect his brother, and instead he had forced him into the hands of the man who wanted to kill him.

"Please, let Josh go." Drake begged as his ankles were bound. "I came, like I said I would."

Brenton looked up at the face the demon wore, his son's eyes pleading with him for the others release. If he let that one go, then the authorities would be warned. "I can't." he replied simply, ripping away the length of tape from the roll.

"But I did what you said!" Drake yelled, pushing himself away from his father.

"I never said I'd let him go." Brenton said coldly as he pressed the tape over Drake's trembling lips. He climbed over the seats and slid into the driver's seat, wanting to get away before anyone might notice what had happened. He reeved the engine and peeled out of his parking space, going towards the house he had rented. Every few moments he looked back at the boys, making sure they were still secure.

Josh slammed his back against the wall of the van as his frustration consumed him. He couldn't meet Drake's gaze as his eyes passed over his brother, here only because of him. He didn't know what he'd be able to do wherever they were going, but he was determined to do everything he could to keep his brother alive until help found them.

Brenton pulled into the long driveway, sending the particles swirling into the air as he slammed on the brakes. He'd done it, he'd found the beast and brought him here. He felt the hysterical laughter rising his his throat, vibrating against his lungs as the cruel sound echoed against the vehicle. Sliding the keys into his pocket he jumped out of the van and rounded to the back, throwing open the doors.

"One at a time," He said, looking at each of them. "Any attempts to get away and the other suffers, understood?"

Each boy nodded, looking at each other briefly as they waited to see what Brenton would do. He pulled the knife from its hiding place in his pocket, cutting the tie around Drake's ankles before roughly dragging the frightened boy from the van. He held the blade to his throat, nodding at Josh to make his point. Josh nodded back reluctantly, showing that he understood.

Drake stumbled over his feet as he was pushed up the creaking steps of the porch and through the old wooden door. Never in his life had he been in a place so filthy and rundown, the dust in the air making him cough. He looked from wall to wall as he was lead through the living room and down a long hallway, to the back of the house. Brenton forced open the door to the back bedroom, shoving Drake so hard that the boy fell to the floor, his face inches away from the dried blood of Brenton's previous guests.

Drake couldn't repress the muffled scream as the spilled blood became all he could see. Puddles on the floor and droplets on the wall. He felt Brenton grab his shoulders and force him against the radiator, the chain locked around his wrist before the ties were cut. Tearing the tape from his lips, wincing at the sudden pain he glared at his father.

"Whose blood is that?" He demanded despite the fear.

Brenton turned away from him, scoffing as he saw the blood for the first time, glowing like dying embers on the dirty wooden floor. "It was left by the minions you sent to distract me." He muttered before leaving the room.

Drake tore at the chain around his wrists, trying to pull free. "What are you talking about?" He yelled after his father. "Why did you bring us here?"

Brenton reappeared in the doorway, his eyes hard as he marched toward Drake and hit him across the face. "Stay quiet, or I'll cut out your tongue, beast."

Josh looked up as Brenton appeared before him, grabbing his ankles and cutting them free. "Lets go." He muttered as he pulled Josh out onto the ground and toward the house.

Once inside Josh immediately began looking for Drake, seeing only the disturbed dust on the floor. He was forced into the hallway, same as Drake had been, but he was lead into the first room to the left. Brenton said nothing to him as he pushed him toward the filthy bed in the corner, sending him tumbling unto the old mattress. The dust that rose as he hit the mattress burnt his eyes and throat as Brenton wrapped the chain around his ankle before cutting the ties on his wrists.

Josh removed the tape from his lips, watching as Brenton went to leave. "Where's Drake?" He demanded. "What did you do to him?" It was too quiet.

"You're safe here." Brenton muttered. "The beast can't get to you, not yet." He placed his hand on the old door frame, not looking at the boy. "No matter what you hear, don't be afraid."

"What do you mean?" Josh asked, swallowing hard.

Brenton shook his head. "The beast has to present for me to kill it. If I don't bring it out from hiding it'll just take another body." He looked around the room, following the echo of laughter in his head. "Where's my little girl? Where's Meghan?" He whispered to himself as he walked out of the room, leaving Josh alone and confused.

~.~

Audrey waited until the house was empty before sneaking away from the living room, moving down the hall as quietly as possible. She let her feet push her forward, to the back of her bedroom and into the cluttered closet. She knelt down beside the stack of shoe boxes lined up against the right wall. There was nothing unusual about the boxes, most any woman had a similar collection in her own closet. Cardboard shells hiding pair after pair of seldom worn shoes, existing only for the right occasion.

Her fingers traced over the box at the bottom of the stack, its print faded with time and covered in a layer of undisturbed dust. This box wasn't like other women's, this one was hers alone. She pushed the auburn hair away from her face, smearing the dust from her fingertips over her cheek before reaching around the box and carefully pulling it free. The old cobwebs were like silk on her hands as she broke the spider's homes, tearing apart everything they had worked so hard for.

For long moments she simply stared at the box, knowing what waited within but afraid to look. She hadn't opened the box since she and Walter had been married, but she'd never been able to make herself throw it away. Without thinking she slowly lifted the lid, the burst of hidden colors filling her downcast eyes.

After the fire, she'd taken what photos hadn't been destroyed and hidden them away on an impulse she'd never understood. Despite what Brenton had done, she couldn't make herself hate him, not when he had meant so much to her before. He had been more then just her husband, he had been her closest friend, the father of her children. She had loved him so much, with every part of herself. Shaking fingers pulled the aged photographs from the box, her eyes studying each one as she flipped through the disheveled stack.

Audrey couldn't hide the smile as she looked at what they had been been like as teenagers, so young with eyes wide to the future. And her hair! What had she been thinking? She looked through the captured years, watching the changes as they'd slowly grown older. Her hands stopped over the wedding photo, her fingers traced over his smiling face. His soft brown eyes as they had stared down at her, the warmth of his hands on her own. She'd never thought she would be happier then she had been on that day.

Audrey blinked away the tears as she pushed the photo to the back of the stack, finding the ones of Drake when he had first been born. The proud smile on Brenton's face as he had held him, as he had kissed her. He'd been such a good father, so loving. The photos fell to the floor as her shaking hands went up to her face, quieting the sobs she could no longer withhold. What had happened to him, to change him so much? How could he have gone from the man he had been to the monster he now was?

~.~

Meghan walked down the long streets, the gentle wind shifting her ponytail as she made her way home. The warm sun slowly burning her fair skin as she switched the song on her MP3 player to something more cheerful. After her mother had told her about her father, she hadn't been able to accept that the smiling face she barely remembered had done something so horrible.

Her mother hadn't told her much about what had happened, and the lack of information was driving her crazy. Her father had done something bad, and people had died because of it. Sure, she could have looked it up online, but she didn't want cold facts, she wanted her mom to trust her enough with the information to tell her the truth.

Continuing toward home, Meghan felt the smooth concrete of the sidewalk under her sneakers, easy steps on a bright day. It wasn't until she felt the crunch under her feet that she stopped looking forward and turned her eyes down. The shards of broken glass glittered in the sunlight, laying discarded and forgotten. Meghan knelt down beside the glass, carefully picking each piece up so that nothing would get hurt on them when her eyes fell upon the discarded cell phone only feet away.

No one she knew just left their phone behind. Meghan felt the smile crawl over her lips as she reached forward and took the piece of machinery into her hands, feeling its sun beaten warmth, almost burning to the touch. It was a lot like her own phone, so she knew that it was a good one, and if she couldn't figure out who the owner was, she was sure she'd find some use for it. Flipping it open, she easily found the contacts list, her eyes studying the familiar list of primary names. Her fingers moved quickly over the buttons, looking into the phones information. This was Drake's phone, and he never went anywhere without it.

Forgetting about the shards of glass as they fell to the concrete, she ran toward home, her heart pounding against her chest and mind racing. She didn't know why she was afraid of something as simple as a dropped phone among broken glass, but she couldn't deny the rising panic within herself. With things being so different at home, her mother so constantly upset this couldn't be good.

Meghan flew through the door, calling out to her mother and waiting for some sort of reply. The silence sent fresh waves of anxiety through her all ready shaken self as she walked through the house, towards her parent's room. "Mom?"

Audrey quickly grabbed the fallen photographs and stuffed them back into the box, wiping the tears away from her cheeks as her daughter entered the room. Looking into her daughter's worried eyes she offered a calm smile, though she felt no joy.

"Are you okay?" Meghan asked as she slowly stepped forward, Drake's phone in her hand almost forgotten as she saw the red eyes and smeared dust on her mother's face.

Audrey nodded, pushing herself off of the floor. "I'm fine." She said, the words empty. "What do you need sweetheart?"

Meghan felt the cooling device in her hands and held it out to her mother, her eyes never leaving her mother's distracted gaze. "I, I found Drake's phone on the sidewalk, near some broken glass."

Audrey stared down at the phone, taking it into her shaking hands as her own cell phone began to ring. Pulling it from her pocket, she offered a shaky _Hello_ as she turned away from her daughter.

"Audrey, it's Mindy. Josh never showed up, and he still isn't answering his phone." The girl sighed heavily. "I'm getting worried."

"Me too..." Audrey replied. "I'll call you when he gets home." She stumbled over the words as she hung up the phone, her eyes falling onto Drake's. It couldn't be coincidence that Josh was missing, and now Drake's phone had been found on the ground outside. Something was wrong, and she hoped that her thoughts were wrong. "I'm calling the police." She whispered as she walked out of the room, leaving Meghan forgotten in her worry.


	9. Reverie

The sun was setting, leaving the sky in breathtaking shades of violet and orange as the firefly moves shyly around the old house. Against such wondrous colors, the dying house seemed colder, more out of place in the isolated field. The late summer breeze whistled through its dark, broken windows and carried on it a scent of decay and rot that the firefly knew to stay away from. Avoiding that unwanted stench it beat its little wings away from the wind, gliding on it ever faster toward the tall grass where its brethren played.

Just beyond the old house were the eager males, glowing brightly around the darkening blades. But it didn't want to see them now, no, it was looking for something more. Far from the tainted air, in a patch of overgrown wildflowers were the females. Flightless and waiting, the females stood watching on their petals and leaves, responding to the abundant males as they carefully chose a mate.

Mimicking their flashes, the firefly waited until on male dared to fly near, its wings beating heavily as it continued to relay messages. The firefly positioned himself, waiting until the eager male was close enough and pounced! Grabbing the foolish male it began to take him down, sinking its small jaws into the insect, desperately trying to escape.

Brenton walked through the tall unkempt grass, scattering the glowing bugs. His eyes shifted as he watched them, living flame running from him, afraid of him. They knew that he knew what they were, that he had their master. It the quiet of the evening he could hear the cicadas screaming their warning, telling the whispering bugs to scatter. Go ahead and run." Brenton whispered as he gripped the bottle of whiskey in his hands. "You'll all be dead soon enough."

The first sounds of thunder roared across the darkening sky, the grey clouds illuminating as the lightning flashed. Brenton felt the icy droplets fall onto his arms and shook off the chill. Nothing would stop him from what he had to do, not insects nor weather. He had the beast, and as soon as it let its guard down and made itself known he would destroy it.

Brenton made his way up the porch stairs, feeling his weight shift the boards as he quietly entered the house. He could feel the demon's heat everywhere, though the creature itself remained hidden. Sitting in the worn leather chair, the half empty bottle of whiskey warm in his hands Brenton starred at the blank screen of the old television on its shaky stand. There was no remote, only old dials against the imitation wood. His eyes never left the dark screen as the images flashed without color or sound before him, trapping him in the reverie.

_He could see the man sitting on his bed, the white of the walls gleaming as his hands shook, the untaken pills rattling against his fingers. In his unoccupied hand was the broken plastic spoon, its jagged end covered in blood, his blood. He'd spent the last half hour carefully dragging it over his skin, slowly tearing the old flesh of his stomach until it finally broke and the blood flowed freely. Forcing his finger into the shallow wound, he pulled the blood forward, smearing in to make the wound look worse before banging on the door to his cell. _

_He was ready when the orderlies opened the door, too occupied by their worry at the sudden injury to pay attention to the man himself. Brenton laughed darkly as he watched the man thrust the jagged plastic into the first orderlies throat with his full force, ripping the soft flesh open. There was no hesitance in the man as he moved to the other orderly, wrapping his hands around the throat before he could cry out for help. He watched the fire die in the man's eyes as he finally ceased to breath. Brenton took another drink from the bottle, his heart racing as he saw the full color of that fire against the shades of grey on the screen. He knew too well what it was like to be face to face with the flame, to need to destroy it before it killed you. _

_He watched the man pull the bodies into his room, searching their clothes for the metallic pen with its sharp tip before carefully leaving his cell. With quickly paced footsteps he made his way towards the counter where they were given their pills, where his own doctor was flirting with a nurse. The fire flashed in the doctor's eyes as he noticed the man come at him, the pen clicking as the end was released and pushed through to the Doctor's trachea. The warmth of his blood soaked his hands as he withheld the angry screams burning in his throat. If the Asylum staff were alarmed, then he would never get out. _

_Ignoring the dying doctor the man reached through the glass window, grabbing the nurse by the arm and demanding his medications. As soon as the bottles were laid on the counter he jerked her arm forward, hitting her head against the counter as she lost her footing. The man wasted no time dragging the doctor behind the counter and changing into his clothes, shoving the pills into the deep pockets. The commotion heard, the man began running for the doors as guards and orderlies alike flooded through the halls, chasing after him. _

_He was too close to being free, had gone to far to let himself be stopped. In beginning to remember, he knew that he needed to get out, to find and save them. The phantoms of his memories. His hands fumbled over the key card as he roughly opened the heavy front door, staring into the shocked face of an unarmed guard late for his shift. He wasted no time worrying about the scrawny guard as he took advantage of his surprise and pushed him against the wall, punching him countless times across the face before using the pen to stab him in the throat. Then he was running, away from the Asylum and the minions of flame who wanted to keep him locked away. To make him forget... _

Brenton blinked and again the screen was blank. He clenched his fists in anger as the dysfunctional television, wanting to see if the man achieved his goals, how he did it. The man had looked like him, had been afraid of the same monster and filled with the same worry. He knew he couldn't base his actions on what he saw on television, but he wanted to know. Pushing himself out of the chair, bottle still in hand he moved through the living room, feeling the prongs on the end of the television cord bend under his shoes. He had caught his demon, and he wouldn't let it get away.

"Where are you, demon?" Brenton growled loudly as he headed down the hall.

~.~

Drake sat against the wall, trying to keep his eyes away from the aged blood all around him. He didn't know who his father had killed in this room, and he didn't want to. Whoever they had been, they were dead because his father wanted to kill him, and right now he couldn't focus on the guilt growing within himself. He needed to know where Josh was, if he was still alive.

Listening for any sign of his father, Drake bit his lip before carefully using his voice for the first time since being left alone in the room. At first all he could manage was a low grumbling sound, then a murmur. "Josh..." He whispered loudly. "Josh?" He tried again, carefully loud.

"Drake?" Josh's muffled voice drifted through the partially open door, concerned, but otherwise okay. "Are you okay?"

Drake chuckled solemnly. He was everything but okay. "I'm fine." He called back. Knowing that Josh was okay was enough for now.

He jumped at the sound of his father's voice, the quiet of the house broken with the simple sentence. Brenton was back from wherever he had disappeared to. Drake pushed himself harder against the wall as the heavy footsteps grew louder, absentmindedly pulling at the chain around his wrist. His dark brown eyes watched the shadow appear before the door, saw it swing open as his father stepped inside.

Brenton took a long drink from the bottle in his hands as he stared down at the shell of his son, the beast nowhere in sight. His throat burnt as he swallowed, the liquor hitting his empty stomach roughly as he stepped forward. He knew what the beast was doing, hiding itself so he would think it had gone away. So he would turn it loose. The twisted grin stretched across his face as he set the bottle on the floor and looked at Drake. Seeing him now, without the beast's shadow looming over him was almost like looking at an old photograph of himself.

"I know you're there. Beast." Brenton growled as he moved closer to Drake.

"Dad," Drake tried, his voice cracking.

"I'm not your father!" Brenton snapped, raising his hand to the boy. "don't pretend that you're my son." His voice rose as he swung, backhanding Drake and sending his head against the wall with a loud thud. "You killed my son, tried to take everyone away from me. Come out demon!" Brenton yelled as he hit the boy again, watching the blood ooze from his lip.

"Please, stop." Drake cried as he brought his hands up, trying to shield himself from his father. "I, I'm not a demon, I'm your son."

Brenton spit at Drake's feet, grabbing him by the hair and forcing his head back. "No more games, beast." Brenton said coldly as he glared into Drake's wide eyes.

"You need help..." Drake whispered as he tried to pull free from his father's grasp. "You're sick."

"Lies!" Brenton yelled, jerking roughly on the hair tangled in his fingers. "The doctors and police may have believed that shit, but not me. I can see the truth."

Drake gritted his teeth against the growing pain as the hair was strained in Brenton's gasp. He didn't know what to say, what he could do to make his father see the truth. His voice struggled for words as he tasted the copper of his own blood on his tongue, the fear of such a small injury sending him into a panic. "Please," He begged. It was the only word he could form.

Josh had heard Drake's pleads among his fathers angry words, the sounds of flesh striking flesh and something within him snapped. He began pulling at the chain around his ankle wildly as he tried to get to the door, stressing the length of chain until he fell to the floor. In his frustration he slammed his fist against the floor, breaking the skin of his knuckles. "Leave him alone!" he shouted angrily, hoping that it would at least distract Brenton from hurting Drake.

He felt his breath stop as the footsteps came toward him, and despite his need to protect Drake he was crawling toward the bed, readying himself to shield off any assault. Even cowering, Josh kept his features strong as he watched Brenton enter the room, his fists shaking.

"Why do you want to protect that monster?" He demanded.

Josh shook his head, fighting to keep his voice calm. "He's not a monster, he's my brother."

"The beast has you all fooled." Brenton exclaimed, tearing at his own hair. "It wears Drake's old skin like a disguise, so that it can go on killing without being caught. It tried to lure me away, sending its minions to be killed in its place. But I wasn't fooled, my eyes are clear." Brenton stepped forward, kneeling in front of Josh and holding his shoulders tightly. "Open your eyes."

Josh could feel the man's fingers digging into his shoulders, leaving small bruises against his skin. Swallowing hard, he shook his head, unable to look Brenton in the eye. "Drake has never hurt anyone. You killed those people, the demon is just your imagination."

Brenton's eyes fell to the burn mark on Josh's neck, the newly forming scab slowly making its way over the wound. "And what about that? The demon has left its make on you."

Josh shook his head. In all of the stress, ha had nearly forgotten about the burn. "You did that."

Brenton pushed Josh back, hitting his spine hard against the old bed as fresh anger filled his eyes. "He's poisoned your mind." He whispered as he stood up and left the room. He wasn't gone long before returning with the half empty bottle of Whiskey. Josh tried to back away, but there was nowhere to go. With almost no effort he was atop Josh, holding his arms away with one hand as he smashed the top of the bottle against Josh's teeth, forcing the strong liquor down his throat in brief splashes. The bottle was nearly empty before Brenton pulled away, watching as Josh choked on the liquor that had managed to make its way down his throat. "You'll see that I'm right." He said solemnly as he walked out of the room, slamming the door.

Pacing the dirty hall, Brenton tipped his head back and finished the bottle. How could he make the boy see what he did? Maybe, it was too late. Years of living with the beast, breathing its essence had closed his eyes to it. And what of Audrey? Meghan? In that house they were victim to the contaminated air the beast had left behind. He had to get them out, to save them before the flames ignited and burnt them alive.

Racing through the house, he grabbed the keys to the van and headed out into the storm, the thunder rolling in lazy warning. He couldn't feel the chill of the falling rain as he climbed into the van and started the long drive back to the house where he'd found them.

~.~

Meghan was sitting on the stairs, watching her mother pace the living room with quick, angry steps, the phone held tightly in her shaking hands. From the moment her mother had muttered about calling the police she had been on alert, waiting for the moment when someone would tell her what was going on. Both of her brothers were gone, her mom was freaking out and grandma was on her way over. She was smart enough to know that whatever was happening was serious, and being ignored and left ignorant to it irritated her.

She looked up when her step father entered the house, immediately dropping his suitcase and holding Audrey in his arms. She could hear their low voices, but the exchanged words were lost to her as she tried to listen. Finally at her breaking point, Meghan pushed herself off of the stairs and stormed into the living room, her arms crossed over her chest as she starred at her parents.

"Whats going on?" She demanded.

Audrey looked at Walter, then back to her daughter, unsure of what to say. Meghan was still so young, and there was the hope that they were wrong in their worry. "We're not sure." She replied carefully.

"Where are Drake and Josh?" She was determined to get answers.

Audrey choked on her words as tears filled her eyes. She let her head fall against her chest as Walter pulled her into his arms, trying to sooth away her fears. "We don't know." Walter answered, hating admitting it.

Meghan stepped forward, her eyes hard as she glared at her parents. "It was my dad, wasn't it?"

Shaking her head, Audrey pulled away from Walter and knelt before Meghan, placing her hands on her daughter's shoulders. "Why would you think that?"

Meghan shook her head, her dark hair falling around her face. "I'm not a little kid anymore. I'm old enough to know the truth."

"Of course you are." Audrey said with a lightness that her features betrayed.

"Then why won't you tell me?" Meghan asked with dark, accusing eyes.

Audrey pulled back from her daughter, shaking off Walter's hand from her own shoulder. "When we know-"

"Stop it!" Meghan shouted, seeing the hurt in her parent's eyes as she pulled away from them. "Just tell me the truth, where are they?"

Audrey shook her head, and Meghan slammed her feet down as she turned away from them, running toward her room. She didn't listen as they called after her, no longer interested in what they were going to say. They weren't going to tell her, she knew that now. Refusing to let her tears show in front of them, she had stormed off, slamming her bedroom door loudly before falling onto her bed.

Maybe it hadn't been fair, to be so harsh when they were clearly so worried? She didn't care, not when her own worry had been gnawing at her, worsening with the lack of answers. Pushing herself away from the soft, pink blankets Meghan seated herself in her computer chair, ready to find whatever her mother was hiding from her. It didn't take long after she had entered her father's name to find the articles on the fire, the obituaries of the dead. Her eyes shook as she read the more recent articles, detailing his escape from the Asylum where he had been all these years, forgotten.

Staring at the photo the press had released, she felt her eyes burn with tears. She had always remembered that face with smiles and warmth. She had never seen the scars over his cheeks, nor the mad intent in his busy eyes. She had only been five when he had tried to kill Drake, but she couldn't remember ever having seen him be cruel to anyone.

The sudden ringing of her cell phone infused with the flash of lightening startled her. Meghan fumbled for the phone in her pocket, reading the caller I.D. With careful eyes. The call was coming from Josh's phone. Hesitantly she put the phone to her ear, answering with shaking words. "Hello?"

"Rain, rain, go away, come again another day..." Meghan knew the voice, though it had been absent from her life for so long. Her father had sung that lullaby to her every time it stormed outside, when she had been afraid at night or disappointed to be kept inside during the day.. "My little Meghan wants to go outside and play..."

"Daddy?" Her voice trailed off as her eyes stared into the image of her father on the screen.

"Rain, rain go away, we still want to see the sun." Brenton's voice sailed smoothly over the line. "Hi baby girl."

"Dad..." She whispered, shaking her head as she tried to clear her mind. "Why do you have Josh's phone?"

Brenton laughed lightly, the affection thick on his voice. "I wanted to talk to you, I've missed you."

"I, I missed you too." She replied absently.

"You sound so grown up," His voice hitched. "I bet you're a big girl now, aren't you?"

Meghan nodded her head. "Yeah." At least someone knew she wasn't a child anymore. "Where are Drake and Josh?" She asked, waiting to see if he would tell her the truth.

"They're with me." Brenton answered. "Would you like to see them?"

Meghan looked toward her door. She had heard the doorbell chime, announcing her Grandmother's arrival. The adults downstairs may believe she couldn't help, that she was too young, but she knew better. "Yes." She finally answered.

Brenton chuckled softly. "That a girl. But you can't tell mom, okay? Do you promise?"

Meghan pulled the notepad from her desk, carefully writing on the paper with her dull pencil. "Promise." She replied as she continued to write.

"Good girl." Brenton said. "I'm waiting for you outside, can you come out?"

"Yes." She said as she put the pencil down and grabbed her sweatshirt from the floor. As quietly as she could, she moved out from her room and down the hall to her brother's room. She knew it was possible to climb out the window there and safely get to the ground, she had seen Drake do it before. Without either of her brothers there, the room seemed to big and endlessly empty. It sent chills down her back to walk through the room as it was now, knowing there might be a chance it would remain this way.

Meghan pushed the window up and began to climb out, looking back at the room one last time. She didn't know what she could do, but she wouldn't let it stay this way. She made her way down to the driveway, checking one more time to make sure no one had noticed her absence yet before heading toward the street, looking for her father. It had been years since she had seen him with her own eyes, but when she saw the man standing in the gently falling rain, she knew it was him.

In that first glance all of her anger and cunning slipped away on the rough winds and she ran toward him, falling into his extended arms. "Dad!"

"Little Meghan," He smiled as he held her close. "You got so big."

She looked up at him with warm eyes, smiling. "I'm twelve." She said proudly. She looked past him, to the old van left running. "Where are Drake and Josh?"

"At my house." he replied, taking her hand. "Would you like to go and see them?"

Meghan looked back at her house, just able to see her parents talking to her grandmother through the window. She knew that she shouldn't go, that if they were worried she should be too, but she wanted to help. To prove that she wasn't a little girl anymore. "Yes." She said simply, letting him lead her to the passenger door.

As they drove down the empty streets, Meghan counted the minutes that passed. It was about a thirty minute drive, give or take, and the old house was well outside the crowded streets of the city. She waited until the van was parked to turn to her father, her eyes intent as she asked him the question that had been on her mind the entire drive. "Dad, why did you set that fire when I was little?"

Brenton shook his head, sighing heavily. "It wasn't me." He turned toward his daughter, seeing so much of Audrey in her curious, intent brown eyes. "I know you might not believe me, no one does, but there is a demon inside of Drake. It set the fire, and it wants to hurt everyone."

"I've never seen it." Meghan confessed, wondering if her father was as crazy as the articles had said. The thunder roared loudly as the rain started to fall harder.

"It hides in his skin, like a costume. But I've seen it, I know its there and I can't let it hurt anyone else." Brenton looked deep into his daughters eyes for any trace of the beast. It's presence had been so strong around the house, and it had been near her so long. The lightning flashed, showing him the hint of light deep within her eyes and he felt his heart fall. Traces of firelight, though small, were still to be feared. But maybe, maybe because there was so little he could save her? Loosing Drake had been hard enough, he couldn't loose her to the beast as well.

"lets get you inside." he said with a forced smile as he climbed out of the van and went around to her side to help her out. Keeping his lips in the tight smile, he hit her before she could turn to see him, leaving her unconscious in the seat. He didn't want the beast to know she was there, to finish possessing her.

Brenton carefully pulled his daughter into his arms, doing his best to shield her from the merciless rain as he carried her inside and to the room where he had left Josh. The older boy was passed out on the floor, so Brenton laid her on the bed before carefully pulling the second length of chain from underneath the bed and wrapping it around her wrist. The soft snap of the lock echoed against the quiet house, driving into his thoughts as he looked down at her.

"Rain, rain go away, come again some other day," he sang softly as he pushed the hair from her face. "Move your whispers downstream, my little Meghan wants to dream..."

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

**A/N**: In the case of confusion, the part where Brenton is 'watching' the tv was actually like a flashback to how he escaped the Asylum.


	10. Photographs

"What do you mean you don't know if Brenton is behind the boys' disappearance?" Audrey's mother, Edna asked harshly as she dropped her bags onto the floor loudly. She turned around, glaring at her daughter and Walter. "Of course it was Brenton. I knew from the moment the story came over the News, I called to warn you." She said, looking at her daughter with hurt in her aged, hazel eyes.

"I know, and I told Drake that he was out there. But there's a chance that it wasn't Brenton, that he's just upset and wants to be alone." Audrey didn't believe her own words, but she couldn't stand the thought of her mother being right about this.

"Have you at least called the police?" Edna asked, shaking her head and hiding her face with a sweep of her hand.

Audrey shook her head. "Missing persons can't be filed for twenty-four hours, but they are looking. They know that Brenton is out there."

"And you accepted that?" Edna walked away from her daughter, looking up the stairs towards Meghan's room. "What did you tell her?"

"Nothing really." Audrey confessed. "She's just a little girl, and if we're wrong, I don't want to put that stress on her."

"So you're leaving her in the dark? It's no surprise that she's hiding in her room upset." Edna muttered, pushing the loose grey hairs from her wrinkled face.

Walter slowly approached Edna, knowing that the older woman had never been too fond of him. "Edna, we're doing everything we can." He said carefully.

"You're the man of this family, you should have been protecting them." Edna whispered as she made her way up the stairs, leaving them behind. She walked down the short hallway, her eyes moving over the photographs on the walls. Each frame held a picture of her grandchildren as they had slowly grown over the years. She could still remember holding Drake and Meghan after they'd been born, the summer weekends they had spent with her. She'd even considered Josh her own after Audrey had married his idiot father. There was nothing she wouldn't do for those children, and now two of them were missing.

"Meghan?" Edna asked as she knocked on the young girl's door. "Honey, its Grandma." She tried, still receiving no answer.

"She's angry." Audrey said softly as she joined her mother outside of Meghan's room. "She said we treat her like a little kid, that she's old enough to know."

"She's not a baby anymore Audrey. If you don't trust her, then how can she trust you?" Edna replied as she knocked again. There was still no answer. "She's just as stubborn as you were." Edna muttered as she tried to open the door. "You let her have a lock?"

Audrey offered a tired smile. "She insisted on having one."

'Well, do you have a key?" Edna asked impatiently. She never would have allowed a door lock at that age.

"Just a moment." Audrey uttered before disappearing to her own room, where she kept the spare keys.

Walter had made his way back to their room, trying to hide his anger at what Edna had said. He had grown used to her quips and insults over the years, but her last remark had threatened to send him over the edge. Pushing the door open, his eyes feel upon the old shoe box half pushed into the closet. He knew that box, always had. Among all of Audrey's shoes, there was only one like it, covered in dust with faded men's footwear logos covering it. Only once had he ever looked inside, and he'd never seen her move it.

Picking up the box and sitting on the bed, Walter looked through the aged photographs, at what his family had been before they were his. The children who had become his own with their young smiles, Audrey every bit as beautiful as she was now. Then he saw Brenton and he could feel his anger igniting again. That man had hurt them, had left Audrey in pieces and tried to kill his own son! And still, Audrey kept his photographs close, as if she couldn't let him go for some reason he'd never understood.

Walter looked up as Audrey entered the room, her face frozen in fear as she saw the box in his hands. He didn't know what to say to her, not when she looked so afraid, secret guilt hidden in her deep brown eyes. Within that hint of guilt, Walter realized why she kept the photos, despite what Brenton had done.

"Walter..." Audrey began, slowly stepping toward him.

"You still love him, don't you?" He asked darkly, his voice barely a whisper. He could feel his hands shaking as he stuffed the pictures back into the box and pressed the lid down.

"What?" Audrey asked, shocked at his words. "Walter,"

"You do, that's why you still have the pictures." his voice remained low as he pushed himself off of the bed, their bed. "I understand," he began. He had been her first love, her first husband. He had given her two amazing children.

Audrey strode over to her husband, reaching for his hand and staring with hurt eyes as he jerked it away. "I don't love him." Audrey replied weakly.

He could feel the tension radiating from her, his eyes on hers as the tears formed. "I understand if you do," He repeated. "He was your husband, the father of your children."

"_You_ are the father of _our _children." Audrey said as she again reached for his hand. "I loved him once, but after what he did,"

"Don't lie to me, Audrey." Walter snapped as he again pulled away from her. He could handle her still having feelings for Brenton, but to have her lie so obviously to him about it just made him more upset. "If he did take our boys, if he's hurting them," Walter sighed heavily. "Then you at least owe me the truth."

Audrey stared back hard, the tears she refused to acknowledge falling across her paled cheeks. "I don't love him." She repeated coldly. "Right now there are more important things that need our attention. Our boys are missing, our daughter has locked herself in her room, and we have no control of whats happening. Those photographs are memories, nothing more."

Walter shook his head, walking past her toward the door. "Are you trying to convince me, or yourself?" He muttered the question as he left the room to try and get Meghan to open her door.

"I don't love him anymore." Audrey repeated to herself as she wrapped her arms around herself, her eyes locked on the old box sitting on their bed. Her feet moved on their own toward it, her fingers lightly tracing over the dusty lid. Walter had never been so serious, so cold toward her. Lifting the box as if it were a small child, holding it tight against her chest, Audrey walked it back to the closet, setting it gently on the floor before shutting the door and hiding it away. "I don't," She shook her head. "I don't love him." She whispered as she turned away from the closet, toward her dresser where the key she'd come to find was hidden.

Walter was standing beside Edna, watching her continue to knock on the door and try to coax Meghan into opening it when Audrey rejoined them. Turning briefly to her daughter for the key, Edna noticed her red, teary eyes and let her anger go. It had been easy to be angry with her daughter when she didn't look at her as a worried mother. "Did you get the key?" She asked gently.

Audrey nodded, handing the small silver skeleton key to her mother. She didn't look at Walter, and she was sure he wasn't sparing her a caring glance. Not after what he had said.

"Meghan, I'm coming in." Edna called through the door before turning the key and pushing the door open.

They all stared with blank faces at the empty room, all of their minds racing to figure out where the child was. Audrey pushed past her husband and mother, eyes frantic as she scanned the room. The blanket on the bed was disturbed, so she knew hat Meghan had been there. Her eyes caught the picture on the computer monitor, Brenton's empty gaze staring back at her and she felt her heartbeat quicken. Not like that, she hadn't wanted Meghan to find out about her father from some article that couldn't fully explain him to her.

Edna had noticed the computer image as well, and had made her way toward Meghan's desk with shaky steps. It didn't take her long to see the note Meghan had left, for her anger to return. "You didn't trust her, and now she's gone." Edna whispered loudly, her voice hard.

"What are you talking about?" Walter demanded as he made his way toward the desk, avoiding the article and picture still on the screen as he reached for the note. He read over it once silently, before his hands crinkled the paper and he read it again aloud.

"Mom, Walter, I know that you think I'm just a kid, that I can't help. But I'm going to find Drake and Josh, and I'm going to help bring them back. Don't worry about me, I can take care of myself! Dad just called me, he wants me to go with him, he said he'd take me to them. I know that you'll be angry, that if I had told you, you wouldn't let me go. He called me with Josh's phone, so I know he wasn't lying. It's okay if you're angry, but don't worry. I'm gonna bring them back. Meghan."

"No," Audrey mumbled the word, searching Walter's face for some sign that he was just being cruel. Seeing the honest fear in his eyes, Audrey bolted out of the room,screaming Meghan's name as she ran down the stairs and out into the heavy rain. Her eyes moved through the haze, desperately searching for her daughter as her hands tore at her auburn hair. "Meghan!" She screamed, falling to her knees in the road as the tears fell over her face.

Looking over the streets again, seeing the despairing rain and its curtain of haze Audrey slammed her first against the asphalt, feeling her knuckles split. "You can't have them," She whispered, her wet hair falling over her face as she shook her head. "Do you hear me Brenton!" She screamed. "You can't have them!"

Walter ran into the road, seeing the car turning the corner and grabbed Audrey's arms, fighting against her struggles as he pulled her out of the street. "Audrey," He yelled over the thunder as he managed to pull her out of the car's path, the driver honking his horn angrily.

"I'll find you Brenton, and if you hurt them, I will kill you." She yelled into the storm, feeling Walter's arms close around her. "He, he took them." She said weakly, trying not to cry.

"I know." Walter said, turning her around and looking into her pained eyes. "But we will get them back, I promise." He could feel her body shaking from rage and cold as he held her close, trying to ease her mind as his raced. He had let his own hurt and jealousy come between them before, and right now, there was no place for those emotions. Not with their children's lives depending on the choices they made.

~.~

Drake felt his head hit the wall behind him, the brief cloud of darkness passing over his eyes as the pain left his head pulsing in pain. His father had slammed him against the wall four, maybe five times now, each time harder then the last as he demanded the beast to show itself. He'd given up trying to convince the deranged man that it wasn't there, he wasn't listening.

Again his back was thrust against the wall, the all too familiar jolt of pain coursing through his spine just before his head connected. How much more of this could his body take? Drake felt Brenton's grip on his shoulders tighten and he knew what was coming. He preemptively closed his eyes and braced himself for the hit, but it didn't come this time. Cautiously, Drake opened his eyes, staring right into his father's as the man searched for something that wasn't there.

"Where is it hiding?" Brenton demanded, his fingers digging into Drake's skin.

Drake shook his head. "I told you, there is no monster." He said on sharp breaths as he tried to hide the pain from his voice.

Brenton backhanded the boy, watching his lip bleed as the prior wound reopened. There were traces of firelight in that blood, proof that the beast had been there recently. He knew that it was hiding, trying to confuse him with his son's body so that he wouldn't kill it. "I know your trick, demon." Brenton growled as he hit the boy again.

He could taste the blood on his tongue, the bitter taste lingering even after he had spit the blood out. "dad, it's me." Drake tried again.

"Liar!" Brenton screamed as he pushed Drake against the wall. "You're a coward hiding behind his face." He snarled, pushing himself to his feet. "Using that dead skin, his empty body." Brenton shook his head, his eyes narrowing as he glared at Drake. "I know you're in there, hoping that those eyes will fool me." He muttered before kicking Drake hard in the stomach.

Drake couldn't help himself, as soon as his father's foot hit him he curled inwards, his eyes squeezed shut against the pain in an attempt to fight back tears. He didn't want to look weak in front of his father, to give in to the delusion. "My name is Drake Parker, I'm your son."

"My son is dead," Brenton snapped. "You are a demon, you took his body and tried to kill my family." He said before hitting the boy again. "You made everyone believe I was crazy, had me locked away to protect yourself." His voice rose as he kicked the boy.

"We used to go play guitar together." Drake said, raising his eyes to Brenton's. "You would watch cartoons with me every Saturday." He winced as his face was struck, the stinging in his cheek intensifying. "You used to smile, when you tried to explain my homework to me and I just wanted to play." He could taste blood again as he accidentally bit his tongue.

"Shut up!" Brenton roared as his hands knotted in his hair. "You aren't Drake!"

"Yes I am!" Drake yelled back, his voice stronger then he felt.

Brenton shook his head, pulling loose long threads of brown hair. "I'll bring you out, you can't hide behind those eyes forever. And when I do, I will send you back to Hell." Brenton promised as he stormed out of the room, slamming the door and growling in frustration.

"Dad?" Meghan's worried voice drifted into the hall, calming his nerves as he followed it to the room where he'd left her with Josh.

Brenton stepped into the room, seeing Josh instantly pull Meghan into his arms as if to protect her. Josh's sharp, dark eyes glared back at him, the rage clear on his face. "Stay away from her."

Brenton chuckled, taking a bold step forward. "You can't keep me from my little girl." He grinned. "Just like you can't protect that monster."

It was everything Josh could do not to push Meghan aside and lunge at Brenton. He'd heard every hit, listened as Drake had tried to make his father see the truth. "The only monster here is you." he said harshly.

Brenton moved forward, grabbing Josh's arm and twisting it back until the boy yelped. In that moment of sharp pain Brenton had gently grabbed Meghan, puling her from Josh's arms and into his own. He looked up at Josh, seeing the anger in his eyes. "Stay back." He ordered.

Josh bit his lip, holding himself back as he watched Brenton kneel before Meghan, smiling at her as if he hadn't been full of anger moments before. As calm as he let himself appear, if Brenton made one move to hurt her he would be ready. He couldn't help Drake from this room, but he would do everything in his power to keep Meghan from experiencing what Drake had.

"What do you need honey?" Brenton asked, looking up into her dark eyes.

"Where's Drake?" She asked. "What, what did you do to him?"

Brenton sighed, pulling Meghan against his chest as he held her tight, his hand running over her messy hair. "He's down the hall. But you have to understand, that's not Drake."

Meghan shook her head. "You hurt him, didn't you?" She'd heard the same sounds Josh had. "I want to see him."

It was Brenton's turn to shake his head. "I can't risk the creature getting to you. I have to draw it out from hiding, otherwise I can't destroy it." He didn't know how to tell someone so young, so deceived by the demons appearance that he had to kill it to save them all.

"Destroy it?" Meghan asked carefully, her small hands gripping her father's arms tightly. "You mean you're going to kill Drake?" She watched her father's face intently, waiting for his answer.

Brenton nodded his head, looking her in the eyes. "I have to."

Meghan felt her calm slipping as she pushed Brenton away from her, her small fists shaking as she glared at him. "You can't kill him! He's not a monster." She yelled, backing away from his reaching hands toward Josh.

"Meghan you don't understand," Brenton replied sternly, putting his foot down hard against the floor.

She shook her head, feeling Josh wrap a protective arm around her as Brenton rose to his feet. It was as they stood together against him that Brenton noticed the shadows in the room shifting to collect at their feet, forming an endless dark pit that threatened to whisk them away were it not for the chains holding them there. The demon knew that they were there, and it was willing to bring itself out of hiding to protect them.

Brenton smiled, the hysterical laughter seeping out in a cruel cackle as he walked out of the room, following the heated footsteps that had burnt themselves into the floor. He knew what he had to do now, how to get the beast to come forward. He wouldn't hurt Meghan, but the other one... Even if he was innocent, the beast was still attached to him.

Drake was leaning against the cool wall, trying to steady his breathing when he heard the steps coming after him again. He closed his eyes, his arms wrapped tightly around himself as he tried to tell himself that Brenton wasn't going to hurt him again, that everything was going to be okay.

For the brief moments he had to himself, he let the darkness against his closed eyes form a picture, anything to take his mind away from the impending pain, and the hurt he all ready felt. He let the sunlight chase away the darkness, and silhouetted against it were his family. His mom and Walter stood smiling, looking at him with sympathetic eyes. Josh and Meghan were there, shoving each other playfully. Drake felt his legs twitch as he thought about joining them there, being safe.

He was pulled away from the happy illusion as Brenton pushed open the door, staring down at him with dark eyes. Without a word Brenton walked over to him, grabbing the chain and unlocking the end attached to the radiator. With his free hand, he grabbed Drake's hair and forced him to stay still as he wrapped the chain around his torso twice before locking the other end to Drake's unchained wrist. "I know your secret." He spat as he forced Drake to his feet and down the hall.

Josh and Meghan were still standing together when Brenton pushed Drake into the room, sending him stumbling to his knees just out of reach of their chains. Hearing the hits and pleading hadn't prepared them for seeing Drake as he was now, bruised and bleeding. His eyes fell upon their own, trying to hide the fear and guilt he felt for them being here.

Brenton stepped forward, tangling his fingers in Drake's hair and jerking his head back. "Now, demon, show yourself or watch them suffer."

Josh immediately pushed Meghan behind himself, his eyes never leaving Drake's. Every fiber of his being wanted to run forward, to protect Drake from whatever further harm Brenton had planned for him. Each protective thought was soon consumed by a feeling of guilt, for not preventing Brenton taking Drake in the first place. It was his fault that this was happening, and he could only hope that they would get out of it alive, that Drake would forgive him.

"Drake..." Meghan whispered from behind Josh's back, her hands gripping his arm tightly as the sight filled her eyes. It was one thing for her to torment her brothers, but she'd never wanted to see either of them hurt like this.

"Don't look Meghan." Drake called to her, trying not to sound like he was begging. She was just a kid, and he didn't want her to see this. Another jerk to his hair had his eyes upon the dirty ceiling, his father at the edge of his vision.

"Show yourself!" He shouted, the spittle flying from his lips.

"There's nothing to show." Drake said though gritted teeth, his voice just as harsh as Brenton's.

Brenton released his hold on Drake's hair and stepped toward the others, his eyes on Josh. "My threats aren't empty, demon." He said coldly as he reached out and hit Josh across the face, sending him stumbling into Meghan.

"Stop it!" Drake yelled, pulling at the heavy chains around his body.

Ignoring the boys demand, Brenton pulled Josh forward and hit him again. "You can stop this." He grunted as he hit Josh over and over, blackening his eyes and leaving his lip bleeding. Josh's protests came out in weak groans as he was hit, his arms failing to deject the blows from his face as Brenton continued to twist the one in his grasp back.

Drake continued to pull at the chains, his tears falling with a freedom he wished he had as he pleaded for Brenton to stop. Meghan was crying as well, her small hands wrapped around Brenton's arm, trying to break his hold on Josh as she silently begged for all of it to end. She hadn't expected it to be so violent, so out of her ability to stop.

Josh could feel the tears burning and blurring his eyes as the pressure on his arm built until finally it snapped, releasing with it a shattering shriek of pain. He felt Brenton quickly let go of his arm, starring in empty horror at what he had done, at the bit of bone pressing against his sleeve. He didn't want to look at it, afraid that acknowledging the broken arm would make him faint. He could all ready feel his stomach churning.

"Does that make you happy, Demon?" Brenton asked, glaring down at Drake.

Drake shook his head, feeling more defeated and useless then he ever had in his life. "No," He whispered.

"Then show yourself. Let me send you back, prevent their pain." Brenton said lightly, trying to coax the demon out.

Drake shook his head, unable to look up. He couldn't bare to look at Josh, his face twisted in pain. "There is no demon." He muttered, knowing that Brenton wouldn't believe him.

Brenton stormed over to Drake, pushing him down with a strong kick and resting his foot over the boy's throat. "Stop denying it." He barked, his eyes glowing with anger.

"Don't hurt him!" Meghan screamed, her eyes wide and pleading. "Please, daddy..."

Brenton turned toward her, his eyes softening as he removed his foot from Drake's throat and stepped closer to her. He flinched as she backed away from him, afraid of what he might do. "Meghan, that's not your brother, why can't you understand that?"

"Because its not true." She said, shaking her head. "Why can't you see it?" She challenged, her eyes alight with quiet rage.

Brenton shook his head. "Stupid child." He muttered as he walked back over to Drake, roughly pulling him up from the floor. "You'll all see it, just as I do." He whispered before pushing Drake out of the room, back to his own. He threw the boy to the floor, taking the second chain from the radiator and wrapping it around his ankle. "How much are you going to let them suffer?"

Drake didn't answer, knowing that his words would sound weak. He could barely breath, and it took everything he had to hold the sobs back.

Brenton spit at the boy, seeing the weakness the demon had acquired living in his skin. It wouldn't be long now, wouldn't take much more to summon the creature forward. He smiled, saying nothing as he turned away and left Drake alone, haunted by the torments that had occurred because of him.

The moment Brenton's footsteps faded from his ears Drake let the sobs out, his entire body shaking. His blurred vision fell upon the faded blood on the floor, then to the fresher drops of his own. He didn't want to look at the blood, but every time he closed his eyes all he could see was Josh's face, his eyes glazed over in pain. Meghan's tears as she had begged their father to stop. It was his fault they were here, because of him that they suffered.

It took all of his remaining strength to push himself off of the floor and against the wall, his eyes looking longingly out the broken window. He'd do anything to be out there, away from his father and the madness in his eyes. Drake caught his transparent reflection in the glass, seeing for the first time the dark bruise on his cheek where Brenton had repeatedly hit him. Looking away from the bruise, his eyes fell into their own reflection, deep pools of pained brown. The longer he looked into them, the clearer the distorted image became. Standing behind him, was the creature he'd seen in his bedroom window. The hunched over mass of writhing flames starred back at him, its toothy grin twisting as it silently laughed at his pain.

"You're not real." Drake whispered, unable to look away.

The creature reached its taloned hand forward, pointing at him as it beckoned him forward. Its eyes lit up as they synced with his own, taking their shape. Drake closed his eyes, trying to banish the illusion when he felt the burning on his shoulder when it had rested its hand. In that moment of terror he screamed, feeling his lungs burn as all of the air left his body. When he finally opened his eyes, the creature was gone.

~.~

Brenton made his way through the house, following the burning footprints towards the basement door. Yanking on the tarnished knob, he pulled the resistant door open, stepping into the darkness beyond and descending the stairs. He didn't look at the bloated bodies that lay at the foot of the stairs, the rigor mortis making them difficult to maneuver around. He didn't know what he was looking for down there, only that the faint traces of firelight had brought him here.

He watched them slither out of sight behind a stack of hastily packed toats, the lids barely on. Ignoring the stench of mold and decay, Brenton dug through each one. Two were full of old clothes, another discarded Christmas decorations. The forth clattered loudly as he dropped it to the floor, the sound of breaking glass ringing in his ears. Lifting the lid, his eyes fell upon countless frames, each holding pictures of Ellen from years ago. She looked better, not strung out and boney as she was now. In almost every photograph she was smiling, a charming older man at her side.

Brenton let the frame he was holding fall to the floor, shattering the fragile glass around his feet. Once, long ago he had smiled like the man in those photos, Audrey too. God how he missed her. Her smile, her voice, the feel of her skin and hair under his hands. In the near complete darkness of the basement, he could almost see her in the traces of light from the small, dirty window. Her hand reaching out to him, begging him to save her. "I'll save you," He whispered to the phantom image. "I promise."

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

**A/N:** If Walter seems to out of character, it is because I'm writing him very serious, which is a side of him not shown in the actual show. I apologize for how long this chapter took, a lot of work went into it.


	11. Chapter 11

In nightmares he saw his father, just as he had been all those years ago. Towering over him with burning eyes, the liquor thick on his breath. Brenton couldn't remember how old he was, only that he wasn't big enough to protect himself, or his mother from his father's madness. The large man stumbled around their small apartment, yelling at shadows as he chased them down to the room his mother had hidden them in. Her voice shook as she told him to be quiet, as she promised that everything would be okay. But he knew better, had lived through this nightmare to its end.

His father's voice shook the walls as he called out to them to come out, breaking the cheap plaster and chipping the paint. His heavy, sluggish footsteps echoed with the rapid beating of his own heart as his mother held him close. Brenton watched the tears roll from her placid blue eyes as the door shuddered, knowing it wouldn't hold much longer. The shadows converged under the door, hiding away the hallway light and slowly taking the shape of his father. In those burning, angry eyes Brenton saw himself, and in his own he saw Drake.

_'Come here you little monster.'_ His father growled, reaching toward him. He looked desperately for his mother, seeing a mass of flames in her place. Brenton felt his father's hand wrap around his arm, the touch burning the skin and melting it away.

His own scream tore him away from the nightmare, leaving him gasping in a cold sweat. Remembering those nights, Brenton could recall the first time he'd felt the demon's heat. His own father had believed him wrong as a boy, but he'd proven him wrong! He'd been a kind man, a loving husband... It had been the demon that had taken his son and killed those people... That had made him kill the others.

When he'd been a younger man, before he'd met Audrey, he'd see his father in himself. But she had chased that darkness away from him, made him see the light. But their son had inherited his looks, his father's features. That was why the demon had taken him. It couldn't get him, so it had taken his only son and killed him. Those hellish flames had taken their home and nearly killed them all. That night, he'd come too close to loosing everything, and Brenton refused to let the beast win.

Not wanting to see the beast after the nightmare, Brenton grabbed another bottle of Whiskey and sat in the old leather chair, drinking away his memories. He didn't want to think of his father, of the better days he'd known so long ago. He needed his mind clear for what had to be done. No more memories, no more medication. Drinking from his bottle, Brenton watched the night sky through the windows, forcing himself to stay awake.

~.~

Audrey sat, hand in hand with Walter as the Officer looked over recent photos of their children, Brenton's case file open on his desk. Edna on the order that they call her immediately. The Officer hadn't said anything to them yet, and Audrey was sure that the distant look in his eyes held little compassion for them as he read over Meghan's note. She'd watched his eyes study their smiling faces, Meghan's words... She had no doubt that this man believed them to be terrible parents for loosing three children within a day.

"She said her father called her?" He asked, putting the paper down and looking at them.

"yes," Audrey whispered. "With Josh's phone."

Officer Marshall nodded. "Do you know where Brenton might have taken them? Is there anywhere that would have been safe for him to go after his escape?"

Audrey shook her head. "Our old home was burnt down, and there are people living there now. After seven years, I don't think that any of our old hangouts are open to him, Not with the children in his hands..." She sighed heavily, willing the tears away.

"Has he tried to contact anyone else in the house?" Marshall asked, leaning forward.

Walter looked at Audrey before answering. "He hasn't called the house line." He was sure that if Brenton would have called, she would tell him. She could lie about her feelings, but he had faith in her. If Brenton had called, he would know.

Nodding, Marshall leaned back again, his eyes moving from them to the collection of papers and photographs on his desk. "We're going to leave one man in front of the house at all times, in case he does come back. We don't have anything to go on, but we are looking for the children." He assured them.

"He's a dangerous man." Audrey replied harshly. "He wants to kill our son."

"I understand," Marshall replied patiently. "But with no leads and no sightings of Brenton, there isn't much we can do." He understood angry parents, he'd seen his fair share of them. He would love to just look at these papers and know where to find the children, but there were no answers for him to find here. Brenton's photograph had been on the News every day since his escape, and no one had reported seeing him. A motel owner had claimed he might have been at his motel, but it couldn't be proven.

"There has to be something we can do." Audrey insisted.

"We've tried tracking your son's phone, its been turned of. Same with your daughters. If he tries to use either phone we'll know it, but until then," Marshall looked into Audrey's teary eyes, knowing that his words weren't comforting her. He reached across his desk, placing a comforting hand over her own and offered a tired smile. "We will find them."

Audrey forced a smile as she slowly pulled her hand away. She didn't want to be rude, but false hope did nothing for her now. When Brenton had been locked up she'd set all of her hope for him in the doctor's promise that he would forget, and that he would find peace. She'd believed in her own hope that her family was safe, that Brenton wouldn't find them. Even now, clinging to that shred of remaining hope still burning inside her chest that her children would come home. All of her hopes had left her in darkness, gifted with nothing but pain. She didn't blame Marshall for trying to offer them hope, but she couldn't accept it from him either.

Walter pushed himself from his chair and helped Audrey to her feet, his fingers woven into hers as he searched her face for any honest emotion. She wore this same mask every early summer when she wanted to hide everything and appear okay. He hated to see her wear that look now, to still be hiding from him when he was suffering too. Extending his free hand, Walter shook Marshall's hand and thanked him for everything he was doing. Audrey simply nodded toward the man before starting out of his office.

It wasn't until they got to the car that Walter looked at her, briefly catching a glance into her downcast eyes. "They're doing what they can." He muttered, unlocking the car.

"I know." She whispered back, sliding into the passenger seat. "But that's not enough to bring our children home."

"He was trying to help, and you just pushed him away." Walter hadn't meant to say the words aloud, and he could see her body tensing as she bit back her remark. Gripping the steering wheel and keeping his eyes focused on the road, he let the next question fall. "If Brenton had called the house, you would have told me, right?"

"Of course I would have." Audrey answered immediately. "Why would I hide something like that from you?"

Walter shook his head, making sure his words didn't find their way out this time. "I know you wouldn't." He smiled. She'd hidden the photographs and lied about her feelings. Walter didn't know if she thought that he wouldn't understand, or if she just didn't trust him with her heart anymore. Countless words of unspoken questions built in his throat as he bit his lip to keep quiet. Now wasn't the time. If he told himself that he'd wait until this was over and everything was okay, then he could believe that everything would be okay in the end.

~.~

Brenton sat alone in the early morning darkness, his hand closed loosely around the bottle of whiskey. He only had two left now, and he was sure that when they were gone, this would all be over. His tired eyes watched the shadows move about the room as the rising sun's light filtered in through the windows that hadn't been boarded up. Swirling in an inhumanly smooth dance, they mingled and merged, holding onto each other as the light tried to tear them apart. He could hear their soft voices, though the words were lost to him.

The previous nights storms and nightmares had left the new day in hopeless gloom. Light rain beat against the windows, leaking through the broken glass and onto the floor. The years of collected filth shifted about, though never left a clean space behind. Brenton's eyes fluttered as he fought to stay awake, afraid of what those seemingly harmless shadows might do to him if he let his guard down. He could see the transparent fires spreading around the house, not yet strong enough to make themselves real. How much longer did he have until the beast took control?

Still trying to force his eyes open, Brenton found himself staring into the creatures fiery eyes. Its thick muscles held it steady as it crouched on the floor, it's long finger pointed toward him. Bits of liquid fire dripped from the end of its talon, falling onto the floor without a sound.

"You're wounded." Brenton smiled, setting the bottle down and folding his hands together.

The beast shook its head, hair-like flames falling over its face in a tangled mess. It took a shuffling step forward, its nails scratching the wood underneath its feet. Its endless eyes stared at Brenton, seeing through his flesh and into everything that kept his body alive. Its jaws twitched as it smiled at him, revealing long, hungry teeth.

"You won't win this time." Brenton boasted. He didn't let his fear of the creature show in his features, he knew that it would feed off of that fear, grow stronger. His thoughts drifter to Meghan, to the hint of its being in her young eyes. "Release my daughter." He demanded coldly.

The beast shook its head, the haunting echo of its dark laughter filling the room. It turned its back on Brenton, moving toward the hallway where the children's rooms rested. Brenton pushed himself out of the chair, feeling the room spin at the sudden movement. "Stay away from them." He growled as he forced himself to walk toward the beast.

The demon didn't listen as it took another step toward the hall, growling loudly as it shook the tattered, leathery wings on its back. Its neck bulged as it made a choking sound, its shoulders rising as the oozing fire poured from its open jaws. Brenton watched with horrified eyes as the ooze split into at least a hundred slivers of firelight, each crawling through the house, hiding within the walls and cracks in the floor. If they grew strong enough, the entire house would burn as easily as paper.

"Son of a bitch." Brenton yelled. "You'll kill them all."

The demon didn't bother to look at Brenton as he cursed at it. Keeping its eyes on the door to Drake's room it simply vanished. Brenton's eyes snapped open as his body immediately lunged out of the chair and toward the beast, stumbling through the spot where it had been only moments before. His anger ignited, he stormed down the hall, bursting into the room where Drake lay on the floor, wakened by his fathers yelling.

"Are you trying to kill them?" Brenton demanded, falling to his knees beside Drake and grabbing the collar of his shirt. He'd been so sure then the beast wanted to protect them, that he had found its weakness. But it had released the fire worms into the house, and once it was strong enough everything would burn. He refused to let the beast hurt his daughter.

"What are you talking about?" Drake asked between sharp breaths as Brenton shook him. The chains were still wrapped around his body, making it impossible for him to defend himself and hard to breath.

"Don't play stupid with me. I saw you in the hall." Brenton snarled as he slapped Drake across the face.

Drake shook his head, furthering the dizziness he was feeling. "I can't leave this room." He pulled at the chain around his ankle, proving his point.

Brenton pushed the boy back to the floor, the clatter of the chains around Drakes body loud in his ears. He began angrily pacing the room, his hands knotting through his hair as he mumbled incoherent words to himself. He knew that the beast had been there, had seen it with his own eyes! Turning sharply, Brenton's dark eyes immediately fell onto Drake's, each of them glaring at the other in silence.

The demon was still there, its firelight burning within those young brown eyes. Only those bright traces of it remained as Brenton searched for the full creature he had seen moments before. It was growing stronger, it wouldn't be long before it took the control away from him and stopped him. He needed to draw it out again, and when it was in his sights he couldn't hesitate.

Brenton knelt down beside the boy, his eyes looking over his grown body. Over these last seven years he'd grown, no longer the innocent child he had been, but not yet the potential adult he could have become. Had it not been for the beast, Brenton would have looked to his son with pride only a father could feel. But this wasn't his son, no matter how much it looked like Drake, used his voice and pleaded with those eyes. It would never be Drake.

"What are you waiting for?" Brenton whispered as he reached out and let hid fingers move over the cold chains. Though not tight enough to restrict blood flow, he could see the dents in the boy's skin, the light bruises forming beneath the metal.

Drake shook his head. "I don't know what you mean." He answered softly back. He didn't know what his father was expecting him to say. Drake shifted uncomfortably in the chains, trying to keep them from pressing so tightly against his skin. His chest and arms were so sore from sleeping on the chains, and he could feel the metal nipping at the bruises.

The soft thudding of footsteps drew their attention to the hallway outside the door. Two sets of brown eyes watched the shadow move over the floor and waited to see what would appear, their bodies tense. Brenton pushed himself off of the floor, looking down at Drake briefly before stepping into the empty hallway. "I'll deal with you latter." He muttered as he disappeared from sight.

Brenton took slow, cautious steps down the short hallway, listening for the sounds he knew he'd heard. There was nothing there, and no trace of whatever had made the sound remained.

Meghan looked toward Josh, her eyes wide as they strained to hear what was happening now. They'd both shot awake when Brenton had started yelling, and had heard the exchange of words between father and son. As relieved as they had been not to hear the sounds of a beating, it had left them worried. With no way of knowing whether or not Drake was okay Meghan had done the only thing she could think to do: She had mimicked footsteps on the floor to distract her father.

As Brenton stepped through the doorway Josh placed a protective hand on Meghan's shoulder. His other arm still pulsed with yesterdays pain in its makeshift sling against his chest. They watched as Brenton took a careful step into the room, looking through them as his eyes continued to search.

"Did you see it?" Brenton whispered, his voice almost too quiet to hear.

"Did we see what?" Josh asked softly.

"There was something in the hallway, I saw its shadow." Brenton shook his head, chasing the brief vision away as he looked at the two children. "It didn't come in here?"

Meghan shook her head. She had made the sounds, but there had been no shadow. "Only you." She replied, hesitantly stepping away from Josh and touching her father's hand. "Dad, I have to go to the bathroom."

Brenton stared at them a moment more before nodding his head. "One at a time." He said as he pulled the keys from his pocket and unlocked the end attached to the bed. Using it as a leash, Brenton lead her across the hall to the shabby bathroom, still holding his end as he shut the door to let her have her privacy.

The moment the door was shut Meghan looked around the unused bathroom, searching for anything that might help them. There was only one window, and even if it hadn't been boarded up, it was too small for even her to fit through. The dirty yellow and blue tiles on the floor were heavily cracked, but no pieces were broken off. It was the same with the mirror, endless lines ran across its surface, distorting her reflection.

Sighing heavily, Meghan turned toward the dust covered toilet and closed her eyes. If she couldn't see how disgusting it was, then she could do this. As quickly as she could, Meghan finished and washed her hands, the cold water numbing her fingertips. Her eyes fell to the chain wrapped around her wrist, her free hand testing the amount of free space she had. It was a tight fit, but maybe... She let the icy water numb the flesh as she pushed the chains down her wrist, biting her lip as they scratched her knuckles. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get free.

"Meghan?" Brenton called through the door, lightly tugging at the chain.

"Coming." She answered quickly, smoothing down her tangled hair before opening the door. "Thank you."

Brenton smiled down at her, avoiding the distant firelight in her eyes. He didn't know how, but he would save her from the evil within herself. He wouldn't loose two children to the beast.

As soon as her chain was secured Brenton unlocked the far end of Josh's, leading him by the ankle to the bathroom. As he had done with Meghan, he stood outside the door, holding the end of the chain tightly in his hands.

Josh didn't want to look at his arm, but he knew he needed to rinse the open wound. Shaking hands pulled back the ripped sleeve, revealing the blood covered bone. He felt his stomach turn the moment he saw it. Josh turned his face away from his broken arm and took deep, calming breaths as he tried to stop shaking. Gritting his teeth, he forced the arm under the faucet and felt the sting of water running over and into it. As soon as he was sure the dust and filth was gone he pulled it out from he sink, holding the arm against his chest as the tears fell over his red cheeks.

Long minutes passed before he could do anything other then breath. Josh felt his voice shudder as he took long, deep breaths in an attempt to steady his nerves. Knowing what he needed to do next didn't prepare him for the pain the actions would bring. As the tension eased he shook his hands and legs, loosening the stiff muscles. When he felt ready, he picked an old hairbrush up from the floor and rinsed off the handle before placing it between his teeth and biting down. He needed to use both hands to rip away the long lengths of cloth from his undershirt, and every movement of the broken arm sent another flash of pain through the arm.

Josh stopped after attaining the cloth he needed, taking a few more deep breaths as the sweat dripped over his red face. Moving closer to the wall, he used it to hold the cloth in place as he began to carefully wrap it around the wound in an attempt to keep it clean and stop any future bleeding. It was the best he could do until he was able to get to a hospital. _If I live that long_. Josh thought darkly as he tried not to look at the bump where the exposed bone lay.

Once he was finished he pressed his back against the wall, taking comfort in its cool, rough surface as he waited for the tears to stop. He'd never been in so much pain in his entire life. As soon as he could move again Josh leaned over the sink and greedily drank handfuls of the cold water. He felt weak and exhausted. When his thirst had been satisfied he went back to the door, slowly opening it and staring into Brenton's empty face. He looked so much like Drake it was almost disturbing.

Brenton looked down at the now dressed wound and shook his head. "I'm sorry that the beast allowed that to happen." He said solemnly. "It'll be over soon."

Josh didn't reply, knowing that it was useless to try and make Brenton understand that he had done this. He followed Brenton back to the room and waited as the end of the chain was again locked to the floor post of the bed.

"Are you okay?" Meghan asked, looking at Josh's arm.

Josh nodded. He was far from being okay, but he didn't want to worry her. "How much longer are you going to keep us here?" He asked Brenton as the man made his way toward the door.

"I have to keep you safe from the beast until I can destroy it." He replied simply before leaving.

As soon as Brenton was gone Josh collapsed on the bed, gritting his teeth against the pain in his arm. It was everything he could do just to keep his eyes open. He wiped away the sweat from his face and looked at Meghan, her wide eyes staring back at him.

"I'm sorry Josh." She said quietly. "I should have told mom and Walter that he was outside instead of coming alone." She knotted her fingers together as she looked into his forced smile, avoiding the sight of his arm. "Its my fault he did that." It was the hardest thing she'd ever done, admitting that she was wrong.

He had never heard Meghan apologize before, and he wished that she hadn't. He didn't want her feeling guilt over what had happened. "Meghan," He managed weakly as he placed his hand over hers. "None of this was your fault. He's crazy." Josh's voice faded as he looked toward the door, waiting for Brenton to reappear. He was afraid of seeing him again, but if he was with them, then at least Drake was safe. "I promised him that I wouldn't let anything happen to him..." _I broke that promise. _His mind whispered to himself.

"We're gonna get out of here. Mom will find us." Meghan smiled encouragingly as she squeezed Josh's hand. "Us, and Drake. Its going to be okay."

Josh nodded, resting his head against the filthy mattress. "If I fall asleep, and something happens..."

"I'll wake you up." Meghan promised.

~.~

Brenton paced the living room, his eyes never leaving the bottle next to the chair. The boy was hurt, and his daughter was afraid of him! He knew that he couldn't keep them here forever, that now they weren't as safe as he'd hoped to keep them. If the demon got strong enough to raise those fire worms then the old house would burn, killing all of them. But is he let them go, he would be sending them right back into the house where the demon's poisonous essence still filled the air. Until he killed it, they would never be safe.

Falling heavily into the chair, Brenton watched the dust burst into the air like fireworks. Each particle split as they hit the traces of warm sunlight, reflecting hidden colors as they shimmered and died. How many times had he taken his children to see the fireworks? Smiling in amazement at the childish wonder in their eyes as the colors reflected in them. The first time they had taken Meghan she had cried at the end, so sure that the lights had died and she'd never see them again.

It had been Audrey who had held her close and promised her that those lights weren't alive. Assuring the small child that they felt no pain and would be back again next year. Brenton smiled as he thought of that night. Audrey had always known just what to say to the children, to him. She had been the light that chased away his darkness. More then ever, he needed her light now. And so did the children.

Audrey could draw the darkness out, she could pull the demon out from hiding and save them all. Brenton stood up, his eyes lost in the beams of sunlight waving over the floor. Like searchlights chasing away the shadows. He was sure that she wouldn't come for him, not with her new life making her so happy. But for her children, he was sure that she would do anything.

Brenton felt his fingers moving over the scars on his cheek, remembering the way she had turned against him to save what she still believed to be Drake. He took the phone he'd taken from the boy in the ally and went out onto the porch, staying in the shadows to avoid the harsh heat of the sun and dialed the number he had memorized when he had had Josh's phone.

_Please Audrey, answer_. He silently begged as the phone continued to ring. He was about to give up when the ringing stopped and he heard a voice that he had only remembered in his dreams.

"Hello?" Audrey's distraught voice came over the line softly. She had been crying.

"I've waited years to hear your voice." Brenton whispered, leaning against the outer wall of the house.

Audrey felt the air escape her as she heard his voice, her grip on the phone loosening. Her brief shock was broken as the phone clattered loudly against the floor. Looking around the room to see if she was alone, she quickly picked the phone up and pressed it against her ear. "Brenton?"

"I've missed you so much love." He replied softly. "I need your help."

"Where are my children?" She asked in aloud whisper. "Are they okay?"

"For now." Brenton sighed. "The demon's getting stronger, I have to destroy it before it hurts them."

Audrey shook her head, feeling the tears burning in her eyes. "There is no demon Brenton. You need help." She replied in quiet frustration.

"Will you help me?" He begged.

Audrey looked around the room, listening for any sign that someone could hear her. "I just want my children back."

"Then I need you to come with me, you're the only one who can save them from the darkness. Like you saved me." He paused, as if seeing something he didn't like. "You loved me once, you trusted me. Can you do that again?"

~.~.~.~.~.~.~

**A/N:** Cliffhanger! Sorry for the delay in update, I've been sick and haven't been able to focus.


	12. Reunion

"Then I need you to come with me, you're the only one who can save them from the darkness. Like you saved me." He paused, as if seeing something he didn't like. "You loved me once, you trusted me. Can you do that again?"

Audrey clasped the phone tightly with both hands, her eyes on the family photograph on the stand. She knew that every fiber of her being wanted to rush out the door to save her children, but she couldn't just leave. Walter would be so hurt if she simply took off, and her mother wouldn't understand. She knew that if her mother saw her leaving then there would be too many questions that she wouldn't be able to answer.

"Audrey?" Brenton's low voice came across the line, almost desperate. Just hearing his voice after all of this time sent chills down her spine.

"I need to know that the children are okay." She replied softly as her fingers traced over the smiling faces behind the glass of the frame. "I want to talk to them Brenton." Her voice grew cold as she spoke to her ex husband.

"They're okay, I'm protecting them from it." Brenton assured her. "Its getting stronger, there isn't much time."

"Let me talk to them." She demanded, her hands shaking as they gripped the phone harder.

"Okay. If it'll bring you here." He replied in a low whisper.

Audrey could hear the sound of an out of shape door squeaking open followed by the soft sound of footsteps. Another door opened and she swore she heard a soft rattling. There were no sounds of television or cars, just silence. He couldn't be in the city.

"It's your mom." Brenton said, his voice distant as he handed the phone over.

"Mom?" Josh's voice came over the line in strained composure.

"Josh!" Audrey gasped quietly, her eyes burning with relieved tears. "Are you okay? Where are Drake and Meghan?"

"I'm, okay." Josh said slowly. "Meghan's in this room with me, I, I don't know where Drake is." He confessed, the guilt thick on his voice. "He's hurt..."

"Do you know where you are?" she asked, looking around the corner to make sure her mother wasn't listening.

"Not really." Josh replied, her voice soft. "I'm sorry mom." He muttered after a moment of silence.

"Its okay." Audrey whispered. "I'm going to bring you all home, its going to be okay."

The line was silent as Brenton took the phone back and walked out of the room before putting it back to his ear. "Will you come?"

Audrey leaned against the wall, the silent debate raging inside of her mind. If there was the slightest chance that she could save them, then she had to take it. "Where's Drake?" She asked quietly. Josh had said that he wasn't with them, that he was hurt.

"Drake died seven years ago." Brenton replied harshly. "The demon killed him, it wears his skin."

She could feel the anger burning in her veins at Brenton's stubborn refusal to see their son as a human being. There was no demon, why couldn't he see that? "Is _it _still alive?" She asked, hating to refer to him as an it.

Brenton sighed heavily over the line, his agitation audible. "Yes." He muttered. "I can't destroy the beast until it makes it's true form visible."

_Thank God,_ She thought silently. As long as he was still alive, she could save him. She didn't know how she would do it, but she would make Brenton see the truth. "I'll come." She whispered, pulling the photograph off of the stand and holding it against her chest.

"Thank you." Brenton said lightly. "I cant save them without you."

"I just want my children back." Audrey murmured.

"I'll be there soon, to pick you up. Don't call the cops Audrey, don't tell anybody that I'm coming." He warned sternly. "I'll call you when I'm there."

"Okay." She replied distantly. She couldn't believe that she was doing this.

"I love you." Brenton breathed softly, his voice full of an affection that she had forgotten.

"I know." She replied before hanging up the phone.

~.~

Brenton listened to the dial tone, its consistent beep taunting him as he waited for her voice to come back, to tell him that she still loved him. It was naive to believe that after all this time, after what had happened, that she would still love him. He'd spent the last seven years fighting to remember her while she had moved on and married another man. No matter how much he wanted her to be his, deep inside he knew that she was lost. The demon had taken her from him, had taken his son and was trying to take his daughter. It wouldn't be happy until he'd lost everything.

With Empty eyes Brenton walked toward Drake's room, ignoring the fear filled hate in the boys eyes. He walked over to him, the phone held tightly in his hand and knelt down with a cruel smile. "I'll get you to come out, demon." He sneered. Audrey had drawn the darkness out of him, and when she was here, her light would draw the beast out from hiding. "When she's here you wont be able to hide from me."

"When who's here?" Drake asked, pulling at the chains around his body.

"Audrey." Brenton breathed her name softly.

Drake's eyes lit with rage at the mention of his mother's name. "Don't you dare hurt her!" he shouted, pulling harder at the chains. "Leave her out of this, leave all of them alone. It's me you want." he demanded desperately.

The phone clenched in his hand, Brenton swung and hit Drake across the face, splitting the skin of his eyebrow. "I would never hurt her!" He shouted angrily. "You're the one that's hurting them."

"If you bring her here, and you hurt her I'll kill you." Drake threatened. He couldn't protect Josh and Meghan, and their suffering already weighted heavily on him. He refused to let his mother be hurt as well by his father's delusions.

Brenton knotted his fingers in Drake's hair, jerking his head back painfully. "You can't hide forever in that stolen skin. You've caused so many deaths, hurt so many more. That body you wear to hide yourself has made you weak, and I will draw you out."

Despite the pain Drake pulled against his father's hold on him, spitting in his face. "You are the one whose been hurting everyone. There is no demon you fucking bastard." He sneered, not afraid of the hit he knew was coming.

As anticipated, the smack came sharply across his face, sending a wave of darkness over his eyes. Drake felt his head dropped against the floor as Brenton stormed out of the room, towards the kitchen. His anger still burning, Drake lifted himself as much as possible and continued to scream at his father. "You can't bring her here! And if you do, if you hurt her, or them again I will get free and I will make you pay for what you did!" He could feel his voice straining his dry throat as he shouted, still pulling at the chains until he could feel them bruising his arms further.

Brenton stepped back into the room, and old dishcloth in his hands. Without a word he went over to Drake, kicking the defenseless boy in the stomach before kneeling down and forcing the cloth through his teeth and around his head. "Your words mean nothing to me demon." He grunted as he secured the knot and pushed himself up. "It wont be long now. I will send you back to hell with your tail between your legs." Brenton promised darkly before walking away and slamming the door shut.

Drake growled in frustration, kicking the rusted radiator as hard as he could. He ignored the sharp pain that ran up his leg, cursing at his father as loud as he could. He could hear Josh and Meghan yelling, but their words were drowned in his muffled yells. He knew that they were worried, that Brenton wasn't hurting them. The distant slam of the front door told him that Brenton had left, furthering his own worry and hate. He didn't want his mother to see him like this, to be hurt in Brenton's attempt at bring the nonexistent demon out.

_But you've seen it_... Drake shook his head, telling himself that it hadn't been real. It was just the stress playing tricks on him. _Then why are you so afraid?_ A voice whispered in his mind. I'm not! Drake told himself, laying his head against the floor, his eyes on the dried blood of Brenton's former captives. The sunlight drifted into the room as a cloud moved away from it, shining on the browning spot. In that light, the speckles turned red again, as if burning.

With quivering eyes Drake watched as the smoke rose, drifting together to form the creature he had seen in passing visions. Even hunched over, the beast must have been as tall as his father, its thick body a writhing mas of muscle and dark flames. Its tattered wings twitched as it shook the flame like hair from its eyes, its serpentine tail hitting the floor loudly.

Drake stared into its eyes, endlessly dark pools of raging fire in the shape and transparent color of his own and his body froze. Sharp, crooked teeth stuck out from its long snout as it smiled at him, stretching a taloned hand forward. The creature moved its talon in a circular motion, spiraling down until it touched the floor, leaving a dull spark against the dirty wood. The transparent flame flickered twice before simmering and turning to ash. Drake squeezed his eyes shut, trying desperately to will the vision away as he pulled violently against the chains around his ankle and wrists. The burning hot metal scolded his skin where the restraints were rubbing the flesh raw, sending fresh fear though his mind as he started to scream.

~.~

"Drake?" Josh whispered when the screaming started. He had heard Brenton leave, was sure that he hadn't come back in. He'd been worried when he had heard the argument between father and son, but hearing those muffled screams left him terrified. "Drake!" He screamed out, pulling frantically at the chain around his ankle.

"Whats going on?" Meghan asked, her eyes brimming with tears as she watched the panic consume Josh's features. She wrapped her arms across her chest, holding herself as her heart pounded against her ribs. "Josh whats happening?" She demanded, her voice shaking.

"I don't know," Josh muttered as he clenched his fists, ignoring the shooting pain in his broken arm. He pulled harshly at the chain holding him in the room, feeling the metal chafe against the already irritated skin. "Drake? Are you okay?" He felt so useless bound to the room. "If you hurt him Brenton, I'll kill you!" He shouted, though he had been sure that the man had left.

When the screaming stopped Josh's heart skipped a beat, his eyes widening in unknowing terror. For just a moment the entire house was completely silent.

"Drake!" Meghan screamed, pulling at her own chain as the tears fell over her worried face. "Drake please answer us." She begged, falling to her knees against the hard floor. "Please..."

Josh fell to his knees beside her, numb to her arms as they wrapped around him, her head on his shoulder as she cried. Drake was here because of him, had been hurt because he'd failed to protect him. As horrible as the screams had been, at least they had told them that Drake was alive. In the sudden silence there was no way of knowing what had happened, if he was still there. _He can't be gone, not like this_. Josh tried to convince himself as he held his sister, his own tears burning his skin as they fell.

"Its going to be okay Meghan, he's going to be okay." Josh said weakly, trying to believe his own words as he stared at the open door.

~.~

Brenton ignored the screams as he walked out of the house, the keys to the van cutting into the flesh of his palms as he moved toward the beaten vehicle. Let the monster scream. He thought as he continued on, still angry at its outburst. That it had dared imply that he would hurt Audrey had left him beyond pissed.

He stopped in his tracks at he watched Ellen's 1980's jeep wagoneer pull up the long driveway, the sun reflecting harshly off of its dirty blue siding. 'What the hell is she doing here?" He muttered to himself as he pushed the keys into his pocket, fully aware of the screaming coming from the house.

The car screeched as she parked it and shut off the loud motor, stepping out with dramatic hesitation. As she had been before, she was half dressed and appeared to be strung out, her glassy eyes looking at him oddly as he stared back darkly.

"You didn't leave me a contact number. I wanted you to know that the basements off limits, everything down there is mine," She wheezed, her voice drifting as the distant screams from the house drifted into her ears. "What the hells going on in there?" She demanded, stumbling toward the house.

"Nothing." Brenton snapped, stepping between her and the house. "Left the television on."

"That piece of shit don't get that loud." She muttered, her eyes shifting from the house to Brenton. "Whose in there? Why are they screaming like that?" She demanded, trying to look authoritative.

"Mind your business whore." Brenton sneered, his hand reaching for the blade in his pocket.

Without warning Ellen stepped forward and slapped him, her face twisting in anger at the word. "You ain't got no right to talk to me like that." She snapped. "Now I want to know whats going on, or I'm calling the cops."

Brenton moved quickly, pulling the knife from his pocket and flipping it open. The moment the suns light reflected off of the blade Ellen screamed, turning toward her car and fumbling with the keys. "Stay away from me." She shouted, dropping the keys.

Brenton grabbed her by the hair, her scream piercing his ears just before he ran the blade across her throat, silencing her as the blood spilled out onto the dirt. He stood in silence, watching the red liquid cover her small body as the breath left her lungs and her eyes glazed over. Without compassion he dropped her onto the driveway, wiping the blade clean on his dirty jeans before kicking her lifeless body. "Demon's harlot." He muttered as he pocketed the blade and her keys. The vehicle was a wreck, but it would be more suitable then the utility van.

The screams from the house had ceased as he wrapped his hands around Ellen's thin arms and began dragging the body around the back of the house, leaving it with a pile of discarded trash bags. He didn't have time to take it into the house and leave it with the others. He stepped over the blood, slowly mixing with the dirt into a reddish mud as he slid into the car, disgusted by the clutter of old magazines and needles in the back seat. In the open shoulder bag he found an outdated phone, and empty wallet and a pair of handcuffs. Their key rested alongside the various others on the key ring to the car. He'd prefer for Audrey not to see any of it, but he didn't have the time to clean the vehicle out. The demon was getting stronger, and he needed Audrey to help him save their daughter.

~.~

Audrey looked down at the photgraph as the phone slipped from her fingers and clattered against the floor. If this went wrong, if she couldn't save them or herself, then she would never see her family smile like that again. Looking into those wide smiles, Audrey felt her own eyes close as she set the frame back on the stand.

"Are you okay?" Edna asked, entering the room.

"I'm afraid." Audrey confessed.

"The police are going to find the kids." Edna assured her as she walked toward the stairs. "You should never have married him." She muttered, referring to Brenton.

"You said the same thing about Walter." Audrey stared at her mother, seeing the displeasure on her face. "If it hadn't been for Brenton, I wouldn't have Meghan and Drake."

"And they wouldn't be in this situation." Edna replied crossly.

Audrey shook her head, her auburn hair falling over her downcast eyes. "You'll never be happy, will you?" Audrey watched as Edna's eyes widened and narrowed. "If you love those children, then you have to accept where they came from. Walter and I are going to get them back." She didn't care what it took, she was going to bring all of her children home.

"Walter is as incompetent as they come, and Brenton was a mistake from the moment you met. The only thing you've done right was having those children, and you let them fall into his hands." Edna shook her head, turning away from her daughter. "I'm going to lay down."

"Fine." Audrey muttered, holding in the anger and tears her mother's words had brought forth.

It was everything Audrey could do not to break down into tears as Edna dissaperaed down the upstairs hallway. After composing herself, Audrey slipped quietly through the house towards the kitchen, pulling a notepad and pen from the junk drawer at the end of the counter. She had to let Walter know what she was doing, no matter how upset he would be. And maybe, she could stall Brenton long enough for Walter to call the police and catch him.

_Walter, _

_I know that this isn't going to be easy for you, that you are going to be upset, but I have to do this. Brenton is on his way to the house, and I'm going with him. I have to see our children, and I'm going to bring them home. I talked to Josh, he said that they were okay but he sounded scared. I don't know what Brenton has done but I can't let him hurt them. I know that you'll be home soon, that you'll find this after I'm gone. I'm going to try and get him to go to the Cemetery, to stall him so that you can call the police. If they catch him, then we can make him tell us where the kids are. I'll have my phone with me, set to silent so he doesn't find it. I'm sorry if you're afraid now, if you're upset, but I can't just sit in this house and wait for someone to find them. I love you._

Her hands shook as she wrote the last line, her eyes reading over the words over and over again. She was prepared for his anger when she got home, for the long conversations that would follow her actions. But she needed him to understand that those children needed her, and she couldn't abandon them now. Taking her phone in her hand, she left the note on the counter and walked toward the front door, waiting for Brenton's call.

Minutes passed before the phone in her hand started to vibrate, shaking her from her thoughts. Taking a deep breath, she pressed answer and held the small device against her ear. "Hello?"

"I'm down the street, in a jeep wagoneer. You didn't tell anyone, right?" Brenton asked nervously.

"No one." She lied, exhaling the held breath. Before she opened the door and stepped outside, Audrey turned her phone to silent and slipped it into her sock, hoping it wouldn't be found. She could see the old car from her doorstep, and it took all of her will to move her feet forward. As determined as she was, she was afraid of what would happen once she disappeared into those doors. If she couldn't save them... _No._ She told herself quickly. _I will save them. _

The suns heat beat against her skin as she approached the car, her eyes on the shaded man behind the steering wheel. Sweat dripped down her back as she looked into his face, gradually becoming clearer the closer she got. She'd only seen Brenton in memories and photographs over the last seven years, and to truly see him filled her with more emotions then she cared to define. Once, years ago she had fallen into those eyes, her heart taken and filled with such love she thought she would never be unhappy. But he had broken her heart, ripped it beating from her chest and left if dying on a burning floor. She would never forgive him for what he had done then, what he was doing now.

Audrey tried not to look at him as she opened the passenger door and slid into the filthy car, her eyes avoiding contact with the mess on the seats and floors. She didn't say anything as she fastened her seat belt and turned her eyes forward, her hands shaking.

Brenton reached over, lightly running his hand through her hair as he gazed over her face, assuring himself that she was real. "I never thought I'd see you again." He whispered, his voice wavering. "all those years, I couldn't remember your name and I thought you were just a dream." His hand fell from her hair, his fingers wrapping around her own.

Audrey jerked her hand away, trying to hide the tear falling across her cheek. "I wanted you to forget." She whispered almost too quietly.

Brenton turned toward her, his hand cupping her face as he wiped the tear away with his thumb. "Why?"

Shaking her head, Audrey let the shuddering breath pass through her lips before she could answer. "I wanted you to find peace. After what happened, how you changed..." She closed her eyes, pulling away from him again. "I didn't want you to remember and be haunted by those memories."

Brenton tore his hands away from her, gripping the steering wheel until his knuckles were white. "For seven years I rotted away in that room, tearing myself apart trying to remember who you were and what I'd done. I was alone, while you were making a new life."

"I did what was best for our children. They deserved a better life then the one you left us." She replied bitterly. "You tried to kill them and destroyed their home."

"I did not!' He yelled, making her jump. "The demon set those fires, it would have killed everyone if I hadn't tried to stop it. You and Meghan were all that I had left."

"Stop it!" She shouted, her hands covering her ears. "There was no demon Brenton, and Drake is still your son. You inherited your father's illness, its all been an illusion." She couldn't stop the sobs rising in her throat. "Why can;t you understand that? You have the ability to see through the sickness in your mind, you find yourself..."

"I am nothing like my father." He snapped, sharply turning the corner.

Audrey knew that she needed to calm him down if she wanted him to go to the cemetery, so she set her own anger aside and turned toward him, her eyes gazing over the scars on his face. "I'm sorry, I know you're not. I'm just worried..." Her hands twisted in her lap, her mind racing. "I need you to stop somewhere."

"Where?" He asked, his agitation present.

"The Cemetery." She murmured, leaning her head against the cool window. All of her hopes rested in her plan working.

"Why?" Brenton asked suspiciously, taking his eyes off the road to search her face for answers.

"I need to show you something. Please?" Her voice was steady, but her eyes were pleading.

Brenton continued forward for long minutes as he thought over her request, trying to decide if he could trust her. If she'd called the police, then the demon would kill the two children at the house, and come after them. But glancing into her deep, earthen brown eyes he found no trickery nor hint of firelight. "Okay." He whispered, taking the next available turn.

They continued the short drive in Silence. Audrey sat staring out the window, her mind on the children and what she was doing. Brenton watched the road disappear beneath the clattering jeep, his mind lost as he tried to see into Audrey's quiet thoughts. Every few minutes he glanced over at her, watching the light fall over her red air, moving the shadows across her face to reveal the woman he was so in love with. He would do anything for her. Anything except accept that the demon wasn't real.

Brenton pulled up the twisting road, parking the car before turning toward Audrey, his hand on hers. "I trust you enough to believe that no ones waiting here for us. Now show me what you need me to see." He said softly.

Audrey nodded, stepping out of the jeep and waiting for him to stand beside her. Timidly, she let her hand fall against his, wrapping her fingers around his as she lead him forward. She'd forgotten the way his hands felt in hers, the strong lines of his palms pressed against her own. The phantom smile faded as she realized how betrayed he would feel when the police arrived, when once again, she turned him over and left him to be forgotten by the world.

They walked together through the labyrinth of standing memorials, Audrey knowing the way and Brenton following in silent confusion until they stood among the dying flowers she and Drake had left. Brenton looked to the flowers, seeing their life draining away in the dry heat of the summer sun. He didn't recognize the names on the stones, only the date that they had all died on.

"What is this?" He asked sharply, glaring into her teary eyes.

Audrey pulled her hand away, gesturing towards the stones. "These are all of the people who died the night of the fire. Our neighbors and friends." She said under her breath. "When the madness took over, they suffered and lost more then we did."

"It wasn't madness Audrey, the demon is real." Brenton insisted, gazing over at her.

Biting back her remark, Audrey stepped forward and pointed to the names. "Drake isn't here Brenton. He's still alive, and he needs you to see him that way."

Brenton clenched his fists, feeling the anger rise as he fought to control it. "His body isn't here because the demon is using his skin to deceive everyone." He retorted as he grabbed her arm. He was going to prove to her once and for all that their son was gone. "lets go."

Audrey turned away from Brenton, her eyes scanning the cemetery frantically for any sign of Walter or the police. There were no other living souls there, no one to help her or her children. Her mind raced with possibilities as Brenton lead her back to the car, trying to figure out what had gone wrong. Walter should have been home by now, should have found the note and called the police. Was he mad at her? Even if he was, how could he not have done anything to help? If not for her, then for their children.

Brenton stood beside the passenger door, waiting until Audrey was inside before pulling the handcuffs from the back and securing them over her wrists.

"I thought you trusted me." She said bitterly as her eyes looked past him one last time for any sign of help.

"You didn't trust me when I said that the kids were okay. You still don't believe that I'm not crazy. How can I trust you?" He grunted as he shut the door, resting his head against it. Saying those things to her, resorting to using those vile restraints had been harder then he could have imagined.

Brenton sat back behind the steering wheel, starting the jeep and peeled out of the parking space. He'd been gone too long, and he needed to make sure that Meghan was still okay.

~.~

Walter pulled into the short driveway, his eyes heavy. Since the kids had disappeared he'd barely slept at all, and worrying about Audrey hadn't helped. He'd always been understanding with her when the summer began, done everything he could to help her through every relapse into those dark memories. Since Brenton had escaped the Asylum she had changed, and he couldn't deny that he was afraid he was loosing her.

He knew that somewhere deep inside, even if she denied it that she still loved the man he had been. He could see it in every distant glance, when her eyes were lost in a memory he couldn't share. Walter didn't doubt that she loved him, but he couldn't deny the jealousy he felt when she hid her old feelings and thoughts away from him. He'd rather she had an affair with someone real instead of those fading reveries.

After long minutes of waiting for his dark thoughts to diminish, Walter pulled himself out of the car and retrieved the groceries from the back seat. After this was all over, when the kids were safe and the nightmare was over he would talk to Audrey. He didn't want to lose her, but he couldn't live as a second choice to a memory of someone who had hurt her.

He was startled to find the door unlocked after trying his keys, he'd been sure to lock it when he had left. His heart racing, he pushed the door open and scanned the room for anything out of place. Nothing had been disturbed, but the house seemed too quiet for his liking. It had been peaceful since the kids had been taken but never soundless.

Walter hurried to the kitchen, dropping the groceries clumsily onto the table when his eyes caught the reflection of light on the silver pen resting on the counter. Stepping toward it, he saw the neatly written note Audrey had left, his eyes running over it twice before his hands started to shake. Reading her hastily written words in her always perfect handwriting, he tried to deny what they said. He didn't want to believe that she was gone too.

As he ran through the house searching for her, he pulled the small cellular phone from his pocket and dialed the police. He didn't know how long ago she'd left, only that he needed to get help immediately. Cursing under his breath, Walter waited until the line was finally answer, stumbling over his words as he explained what was happening to Marshall. The Officer promised the he was on his way to the cemetery before hanging up.

"Whats going on down here?" Edna groaned as she hobbled down the stairs, noticing the panic on Walter's face. "What happened?" She demanded, fearing the worst.

"Audrey left with Brenton." He exclaimed, pulling his keys from his pocket.

"Why didn't you stop her?" Edna demanded furiously. "How could you let her leave with him?"

"Why didn't you?" Walter accused, turning towards the older woman. "I wasn't here, there was nothing I could have done." He'd never stood up to her before, and he could see the anger simmering in her features.

"I knew that you weren't good enough for her." Edna scolded him as she hit the bottom stair. "You couldn't protect your own children, then you left her here to deal with all of this alone."

"She was here with you." Walter snapped. "No one will ever be good enough for her, and you can't be bothered to hold her together when she's falling apart."

Edna stormed forward, slapping him across the face. "How dare you." She snarled.

Walter gripped the keys until their ridges bit into his palms, resisting the urge to strike her back. Exhaling deeply, he turned away from her and headed toward the door. "Take care of Elizabeth." He muttered as he jerked it open.

"Where are you going now?" Edna called after him, her own hands balled into shaking fists.

"To save her." He whispered, hoping that it wasn't too late.

~.~

Audrey watched the city disappear as Brenton continued to drive, neither of them saying a word. As willing as she was to go to her children, she had hoped that Walter would go to the cemetery so that they could bring them home together. She didn't allow the tears to fall as her mind focused on the empty graveyard. The absence of her husband had left her shaken and feeling more alone then she had in years. Brenton hadn't said a word to her since beginning the drive to wherever he had taken the children, and his silence only fueled her unease.

Her eyes readjusted and her mind focused as they turned down the long dirt road, towards the desolate house hidden from view. _This is where he brought them..._ She thought to herself, disgusted by the appearance of the old house. Her vision quickly shifted to the beaten utility van sitting in the driveway, the same one that had been near the house the other day. He'd been right outside, watching them as they'd worried over where he was. If he'd find them...

Brenton parked the car, leaving the keys inside the ignition as he shut it off. He didn't plan o going anywhere, and didn't expect anyone else to show up there. "we're here." He muttered as he stepped out of the car and walked around to her side, opening the door and helping her out.

"Where are my children?" She asked softly. It was so quiet out here, away from the world.

"This way." He replied simply as he gently took her arm and lead her toward the house.

Audrey kept her eyes forward until her left foot slid on the dirt. She looked down, seeing the red mud that now covered the side of her sneaker. _Blood... _It was everything she could do not to scream as she stopped walking, gazing down in silent terror. There was so much blood down there, still freshly red and moist. A few feet away from the muddy puddle, partially buried in the dirt were the bottles of pills he was supposed to be taking.

"How long has it been since you stopped taking them?" She wondered out loud.

"Since I escaped." He replied, voice empty as he pulled her away from the discarded bottles and up the porch.

The house was eerily quiet as Brenton opened the door for her, almost as dead as the cemetery they had just come from. Audrey held her breath, terrified that in the time since Brenton's first call the children had been hurt. Every room her eyes fell upon reminded her of a horror film, abandoned and foreboding. How could they survive in a place like this, when just looking at it made the hope leave your body cold.

Wordlessly she followed Brenton to the first room, the only sound the rattling of the chain on the handcuffs as her hands shook. She'd forgotten about breathing until he pushed open the door, the sharp inhale leaving her dizzy as the oxygen filled her lungs. Looking up at her with wide, confused eyes were Josh and Meghan.

"Mom?" Meghan whispered, jumping to her feet and running toward her mother.

Audrey would have done anything to be able to hold her little girl in her arms, but in her solemn relief she was content to press her arms against the child who embraced her. "Its gonna be okay," Audrey said, trying to comfort the shaking child. "I'm here now."

Josh looked over at them, his eyes falling to the floor as Audrey returned his glance. It didn't take her long to notice his arm, the dried blood that had soaked through the makeshift bandaging. "What happened to you?" She asked, all ready knowing the answer.

When Josh didn't answer she turned toward Brenton, her eyes glowing. "What did you do to him?"

"It was an accident." Brenton mumbled, not looking at the boy. "The demon made me do it, it wouldn't come out."

"So you broke his arm?" Audrey shouted. Shaking her head she turned back to her step son, resting a gentle hand on the arm as tears filled her eyes. "He needs to go to the hospital."

"When this is over." Brenton promised.

Audrey nodded, looking deep into Josh's guilty eyes as she offered him a comforting smile. "Its going to be okay."

"I'm sorry mom." Josh whispered, refusing to meet her gaze. "Its all my fault."

"No it isn't." She tried to assure him. "You're keeping Meghan safe."

Josh shook his head, his fingers leaving crescent cuts in his palms. "I promised Drake that I wouldn't let him get hurt."

Raising her bound hands, she rested her palm against his cheek and forced a smile. "You're doing your best, that's all anyone can ask."

"I love you." Josh murmured, wrapping his good arm around her. "I wont let anything happen to you, or Meghan." He promised quietly.

Audrey kissed his cheek, trying to express without words how proud she was, despite what had happened. Brenton was a man, and there was no reason left inside of his ravaged mind. There was only so much that Josh could do, and she was happy that he was doing it. Without hesitance she turned back toward Brenton, her soft features turned to stone as she glared at him. "I want to see my son."

Brenton reached forward, taking her hand when it wasn't offered and pulled her out of the room. "There is no Drake." He muttered. "Not anymore."

Audrey didn't wait for Brenton to open the door that they stopped in front of. Pulling out from Brenton's grasp she pushed the door open, her breath freezing as she looked down to the unconscious boy on the floor, dried blood covering his face from the cut on his eyebrow.

"Drake!" She nearly screamed, rushing forward and falling to her knees beside him.


	13. Confessions

"Drake!" Audrey felt her knees collide with the floor, sending brief waves of pain through her unsteady legs. Seeing the other children had left her shaken, but seeing Drake like this filled her with unlimited terror. Her hands trembled as she shook his shoulder, the breath catching in her throat as her eyes followed the wavering rise and fall of his chest. He was alive! The delighted thought did little to comfort her as she pulled his head into her lap, trying to loosen the knot of the cloth in his mouth. "Wake up..." she pleaded.

Brenton stepped forward, grabbing her hands and pulling them away from the boy as he shook his head. "I don't want you to be infected."

Audrey jerked her hands away from him, turning toward her son as her body began to shake with quiet rage. "Infected?" She asked bitterly.

"The demon, it can get inside of you. Its inside of Meghan. We have to save her before it takes root." Brenton said softly. "I cant let it get you too."

His words fell on deaf ears as she fumbled with the knot, her eyes watching as Drake's long, dark lashes began to flutter. She couldn't deny the relief she felt when those brown eyes opened, starring back at her with a confused alleviation. "Don't move." She whispered tenderly as Drake began to pull at his restraints, muttering as he tried to talk to her.

As soon as the cloth was removed the boy coughed violently, his body shaking. Drake avoided all sight of his father as he looked into his mother's eyes, wincing at the tears falling over her cheeks. "What are you doing here?" He croaked, his throat still sore from screaming. "Did he hurt you?" Drake whispered.

"I'm fine." Audrey said, pushing her emotions deep within her chest. "I'm going to get you home." Looking into his face, she could see the faint hope he had in her words and she knew that he had all but given up. Whatever Brenton had done had broken him down and left him more afraid then she had ever seen him. The cut above his eye, the split lip and uncountable bruises were only the beginning of his suffering.

"Mom..." Drake shook his head, refusing the tears. "Its real." He whispered so softly she couldn't hear him. The realization had left him utterly distressed. He wanted her to run, to take Josh and Meghan and get as far away from him as possible. He was afraid of his fear, of her seeing Brenton's truth and looking at him the way his father did.

Audrey felt the cold metal against her fingers as her hand ran over the chains around Drake's body, her anger igniting again as she turned toward her ex husband. "Do you have to keep him chained up like this?"

Brenton nodded, his words lost as he watched the shadows around them move. The moving darkness seeped out from Drake's wounds, collecting and forming into undefined, vulture like creatures as it rose from the ground. His eyes caught their almost invisible embers as they searched for a weak point, waiting to pick away at Audrey and take her from him.

"No!" He shouted unexpectedly, rushing over and pulling her away from the shadows. "You cant have her."

"Brenton, what are you-" Audrey felt the air forced out of her lungs as she was roughly pulled away from Drake, Brenton's arms holding her protectively.

"Cant you see them?" His voice rasped as he stared into their mocking eyes.

"There's nothing there." Audrey stated, pulling against his hold desperately as she tried to go back to her son. "Let go of me."

Brenton shook his head, pulling her toward the open door. "I can't let them take you, not you." He muttered as he forced her through the door, grunting as her hands caught the frame and held her there. "Audrey, please." He nearly begged as he continued pulling her away.

"Drake!" She shouted, one hand reaching toward him as the other held firmly onto the door frame. "It's going to be okay Drake." She promised. It was a promise she was determined to keep, no matter what happened to her. "I'm going to get you home." She said breathlessly as Brenton pulled her hand loose, chipping her nails painfully against the wood.

She struggled fiercely as he lead her down the hall, slamming her fists weakly against his chest as her eyes remained stuck on the door to Drake's room. "Monster." She accused as she hit him, closing her eyes against tears.

Brenton stopped moving once they reached the living room. He held her close against his chest, stroking her hair as she cried into his shoulder. "Stop it Audrey. That's not Drake in there, the beast is using his skin to trick you." He held her tighter as she tried to pull away, exhaling heavily into her soft hair. "I know it hurts, realizing that he's gone..." Brenton couldn't remember the last time he'd felt his own tears over his cheeks.

"But he's not gone." She replied weakly, the sobs stuck in her throat. "That's our son, and he's scared and hurt."

Brenton shook his head against her hair, inhaling the flowery scents of her shampoo. "You'll see the truth." he assured her. "But right now, we have to focus. We have to get the creature's minion out of Meghan before its too late."

Audrey pulled her head back, looking into his deep brown eyes, so full of sincerity and concern. He was so consumed by his delusions that she didn't think he'd ever see reality. "I wont help you hurt her."

"I would never hurt her." Brenton's voice shifted from caring to stern. "It doesn't have a strong hold on her, with you're help we can chase it out quickly."

"When?" Audrey asked. She wanted Brenton to see Meghan as untainted as soon as possible, to spare the young girl her brother's pain.

"At twilight." Brenton released his hold on her, his eyes falling to the bottle of whiskey beside the chair. "When the sky is on fire."

~.~

Walter felt his heart pounding against his chest as he broke the speed limit, trying to get to the cemetery as fast as possible. The lines of Audrey's note passed over his eyes, her voice echoing them against his ears. He knew that she had done this to save the children, but his heart couldn't take comfort in that truth. She still loved Brenton, and he couldn't help but wonder if she was doing this to try and save him as well.

Ignoring the voice of his jealousy, Walter pulled into the cemetery, hoping against everything that she was still there. If he hadn't hesitated at the store, then he might have been able to stop her. He could have confronted Brenton and made him reveal the location of their children. He could have done something other then hurt her...

The police car was parked and empty, giving Walter the slightest hope that Audrey was still there with Brenton. He wasted no time stopping the car, almost snapping the key as he ripped it out of the ignition and started running. He could feel the eyes of the dead following his every step, offering nothing but contempt for the life in his veins and purpose in his movements. Stones stood like towers, impeding his search and slowing him down.

"Audrey!" He'd barely recognized his own voice under the fear and desperation. His eyes searched frantically as his legs lead him in wide, uneven circles. "Audrey, where are you?"

The fresh drizzle of rain fell upon his skin, mixing with the increasing output of sweat forming on his aged body. In his fury, he couldn't feel the cold bite of those drops, their hopeless urging lost to him. She had to be here, he had to save her.

"Walter?" a distant, masculine voice called from around the corner of the mausoleum.

Walter stopped moving, feeling the rain soaked clothes against him skin as Marshall ran around the corner, shaking his head. "Did you find her?" He asked, slowly moving to meet the officer.

"They aren't here." Marshall said, still shaking his head. "I circled the entire field twice, if they came here, then they we're gone before I arrived." Marshall turned his eyes away from the distressed man, not knowing what he could say to try and comfort him. "I'm sorry." He said sincerely.

"He's got my entire family, and we don't know where he went." Walter muttered, his knees locking as his fists clenched. "That fucking bastard took them all, and I couldn't stop him."

Marshall placed a cautious hand on Walter's shoulder, his eyes turning to the darkening storm clouds overhead. "You can't blame yourself, there was nothing you could do."

"I shouldn't have left her alone." Walter said to himself as the cold finally set against his bones.

"We gotta get out of this rain." Marshall muttered, carefully leading Walter toward the cars. "We're going to find them." He didn't know if they'd be okay, but he was determined to bring this family back together.

Walter followed Marshall back to the cars, his mind a frenzied mess of emotion and thought. Everything he thought he could have done splintered against his fears of what could be happening. As the lightning flashed overhead he saw the faces of his children against his eyes, their fear all too real. He could still see that false smile on Audrey's face, hiding the uncertainty in her eyes. _Audrey.._. Walter turned toward Marshall, his eyes wet. "Audrey took her cell phone with her." he called out over the roaring thunder.

Marshall nodded, his lips twitching into a soft smile. "If its still on, we can track it." He said confidently. It wasn't a sure thing, but it was all they had right now.

~.~

Audrey sat next to Brenton on the rickety front porch, watching the dark clouds form over the city. She wanted to be inside, beside her children, but she knew that Brenton wouldn't allow it. She needed him to calm down if she was going to keep them safe, and to do that she needed to do what he wanted. "Cumulonimbus." she whispered, gazing at the towering, dense clouds.

Brenton smiled, taking a quick drink from the bottle and handing it to her. "You remembered?"

Taking the bottle and pressing it to her lower lip, Audrey debated whether she actually wanted to drink it. "I remember everything." She replied softly, tipping the dark, bitter liquid into her throat.

"I don't." Brenton confessed, taking the bottle back. "I think I will, eventually." He took another long drink before passing the bottle back. "All I could remember for the longest time was fire, and brief glimpses of your face. I tried so hard to remember you."

"I'm sorry." Audrey whispered, taking another drink. "I just wanted you to be happy."

"So you left me forgotten and married some other guy?" He scoffed, looking at her harshly.

"I did what I had to." Audrey had never considered how Brenton would feel about her having the doctor's lock away his memories, she had never expected him to find out.

"Are you happy?" Brenton asked as he took the bottle back, sipping heavily at it. "Do, do you love him?" He wasn't sure he wanted to hear the answers to either question.

"Very much so." She breathed, bringing her elbows to her knees and resting her chin in her hands. "Do you remember when Drake was born?" She asked quietly, the sudden wind threatening to carry the words away before they hit his ears.

"Yeah," His brief smile faded. He'd been by her side the entire time she had been in labor, holding her hand. Covered in sweat, her eyes glassy yet proud, Audrey had never looked stronger to him then in those moments.

"The nurse handed him to you, and you promised him that you would never let anything hurt him. That you would protect him." her voice shook as she turned toward Brenton, searching his face for any sign of a change in his current feelings towards their son.

The bottle slipped from Brenton's shaking hands, clattering against the stairs. "I failed him." Brenton hissed. "My father's monster found him and I couldn't stop it from killing him." He watched the whiskey leak into the grass, swallowed greedily by the ground. "It was my fault Char," He sighed quietly as he fell against her chest, wrapping his arms around her. "I let the darkness take him in my place."

Audrey pushed her arms up and over Brenton's head, feeling him shake against her as she tried to comfort him. It had always been so easy to despise him for what he'd done, to leave him in darkness to avoid her own guilt for not trying harder to help him. In all of her hate she had forgotten that he had been just as human as anyone else, that for him, this madness was reality.

"Its not too late to save him." She murmured softly.

Brenton shook his head, the tears clearing from his eyes as he carefully pulled out of her arms. He placed his hands on her shoulders, taking solace in her warmth. "We can free his body, but we can't save his soul." He looked away from the hurt in her beautiful eyes as he pushed himself to his feet before extending a hand and helping her up. "I know that you don't understand it now, but its just the way things are."

"It doesn't have to be that way. If we can save Meghan, then why not Drake?" She asked, trying to control the emotion in her voice. "Life,"

"Life isn't fair, Audrey." Brenton cut her off, watching at the storm clouds slowly crawled their way. "If I could have saved him, I would have." Brenton wrapped his fingers loosely around her arm, tugging her back toward the house. "Life leaves you alone." He'd been alone for so long, so desperate to know the truth. And now that he knew, even with his purpose ahead of him he wasn't sure he'd want to remember afterward. "All it is, is suffering." He muttered.

"I'm sorry Brenton." Audrey couldn't see the new tear running over his face, but she could feel the tension on his grasp as his own hurtful memories clouded his mind. "I never meant to hurt you." She confessed dryly.

"I know." He replied, voice empty of all of the emotion it had held moments before.

~.~

"Do you think moms okay?" Meghan asked, straining her ears for any sounds of her mother. Seeing her here, in this place had given her the first bit of real hope she'd felt. Being chained to this room, unable to help anyone had left her miserable and more alone then ever. She'd always been left out, being the youngest, the only girl. She'd always tried more, fought harder. When there had been nothing she could do she felt all of her confidence slip away.

"Yeah..." Josh whispered, listening just as hard. He couldn't hear his mother, and Drake's voice had left as well. Not knowing left him angry, and he welcomed that anger because it made him forget about the overbearing guilt eating away at him. If he hadn't helped Brenton then he would be dead, but at least the others might be safe. "He wont hurt her."

"Are you sure?" Meghan asked, looking to her older brother for comfort.

"I think, I think he still loves her." Josh mused, unable to believe that someone so cruel could love. But he had seen the way Brenton looked at her, the way he fought himself to protect Meghan. "The same way he still loves you."

"Just, not Drake?" She looked toward the door, wanting more then anything to know if Drake was okay. After the way he had screamed earlier she was more then worried about him.

"No." His hands balled into fists. "He thinks there's a demon inside of him, and he wants to kill it, to protect everyone else."

"I don't need to be protected." Meghan grunted, wrapping her arms around her knees.

"I know you don't." Josh smiled, reaching forward and ignoring her glare as he ruffled her hair. Even if she didn't want it, he would protect her as best as he could.

They both looked up as the front door swung closed with a clang, their eyes waiting to see if Brenton would bring their mother back to them. If she was with them, then they knew that she was safe, and they themselves would feel safe again. Two sets of footsteps echoed against the otherwise quiet walls of the house, the faint clinking of chain links almost hidden.

"We're going to save her Audrey, I promise." Brenton's voice drifted down the hall.

"I won't let you hurt her." Audrey's voice echoed strongly as the two entered the room.

Leaving Audrey behind him, Brenton moved toward Meghan, raising his hand sharply as Josh made to move between them. "My little princess," He whispered, eyes focused on her. "I need you to come with me now, I promise that you'll be okay." He spoke so gently that it was hard to believe in his madness, or their situation.

"Where?" Meghan asked cautiously, searching her mother's face for answers, finding only worry.

"The demon left its evil inside of you, not a lot." Brenton said hurriedly, seeing the confused fear in her eyes. "But its there, and I need to help you get ride of it. Like when you were little, and you had the chickenpox." He offered a smile. He'd been by her side, reading to her and feeding her soup until she'd gotten better.

"How?" Meghan asked. She was sure that evil couldn't be taken away with love and soup.

"Trust me." Brenton whispered, pulling his daughter into a reluctant hug. "I wont let anything happen to you." He waited until Meghan pulled away, her soft brown eyes, Audrey's eyes, resting on his own before tugging on her chain and unlocking it. "Follow me." He whispered, offering his hand.

Brenton lead Meghan toward the door, stopping to look at Audrey. "I need your help."

"I'll be there in a minute." She whispered, eyes on Josh. "I want to make sure his arm is okay."

"Its across the hall." Brenton muttered, leaving with Meghan.

"You can't leave him alone with her." Josh growled, pulling at his own chain in vain as Audrey knelt beside him and carefully pulled her phone from its hiding place.

The low battery signal flashed across the screen as she handed the phone over, closing Josh's hand over the device. "Leave it off for now," She whispered. "But as soon as you know Brenton wont hear, call for help. We're about forty minutes west of the city." She said, hoping that she was right. She placed her hand against his cheek, offering a brief smile. "I'm very proud of you Josh." She murmured before going to make sure her daughter wouldn't be hurt.

_You shouldn't be..._ Josh thought as he watched her leave, the phone held tightly in his hands. There wasn't time for waiting, not anymore.

Audrey listened to the sounds of running water, her heartbeat drowning from her ears as she entered the bathroom. Brenton was filling the old, stained bathtub, its faucet shaking violently as it strained to function. "What are you doing?" She asked, joining Meghan in the corner and wrapping her arms over the child protectively.

"We never had the children baptized..." Brenton mumbled. "That's why it got to them." His hands shook as he turned the water off, his eyes falling upon them. "I don't know what else to do." He confessed.

"No." Audrey said, shaking her head. In his condition, she didn't trust Brenton with Meghan's life. He didn't have control over himself, wouldn't know when enough was enough. "I won't let you."

Brenton's hands gripped the lip of the tub tightly, the nails cracking and breaking off as his fingertips bruised. "You don't have a choice." He whispered darkly, turning his eyes toward them.

~.~

Walter sat in the old armchair, his phone held loosely in his hand as he waited for any good news. When Meghan had been young, after he and Audrey had moved in together he had read her to sleep in this chair. The boys would sit in front of the old television, competitively playing their games as he told them to quiet down. Just to side, Audrey would sit, her legs tucked under her as she read. He could still remember those long moments where he would just watch her, waiting for the soft smile She'd offer when she caught his eyes.

Those days were gone now, the children had grown and everything had changed. Josh would be moved out within the next few weeks, and as soon as Drake graduated he'd be looking for a place with his friends. He'd have at least six more years with Meghan, and even if he didn't want to believe it, she was growing up so fast. One by one, they were all growing up. _If they survived this.._. Walter shook the dark thoughts from his mind, his eyes clearing. They _were_ coming home, all of them.

The soft sound of shuffling feet brought his attention to the walkway leading to the living room, Edna standing silhouetted against the latest flash of lightening. Her eyes were still hard, but her features had softened as the worry had sank in. "Anything?" She asked, voice quietly desperate.

Walter shook his head, tightening his grip on the phone. "Nothing yet." He'd been so sure that Marshall would have called by now. Siting alone in this room, unable to do anything was driving him crazy.

"Walter," Edna said carefully, pulling her shawl close against her chest. "I know that I've never been good with you, but after her first choice of husband, I didn't have faith in Audrey's ability to provide a father." The older woman sighed heavily, she'd never expected to have this conversation with him. "I had to be hard on her, and you, for the sake of the children."

"She's a smart, loving woman." Walter replied, unable to say her name aloud. He would always love her, but the way she had gone to Brenton, had hidden her feeling left him hurt and betrayed. "She'd do anything for those children..."

Edna nodded, stepping closer. "The same way you've always done anything for her." She offered a worn smile, her hand on his shoulder. "Audrey made the right choice with you." It was so hard for her to admit it to him after years of believing he would hurt her just like Brenton had.

"Thanks." Walter muttered. It meant a lot to him to hear her say those words, but right now, he couldn't enjoy them. That it had taken all of this to make her see it, to admit those words left him cold and empty.

Both sets of eyes turned toward the phone in his lap as it began to ring, the sound almost shattering their ears after the long hours of near complete silence. His hands shaking, Walter pulled the phone's screen into view, his eyes widening as he read the name across the screen.

"Audrey," His voice rang out desperately, nearly lost in the roar of the thunder outside the window.

"Dad!" Josh's hushed voice cut him off.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

**A/N**: Okay, so, some softer moments, because I felt they were necessary before things get a bit more intense. Also, I would like very much to thank _**Trikkster**_, **Don'tReadMyStories** and **Saffarinda** for being the only people still with me on this. :) Means a lot to me to hear that the story is being enjoyed despite its unpopularity.


	14. Aisle

_~I can't give enough of what it is you want... It's such a foolish game...  
Running in circles... Fast, yet tame. ~_

Drake couldn't move his eyes away from the apparition sitting before him, his silent screams burning in his throat. He couldn't call out, no matter how much repressing those screams hurt. If they saw it, if they believed what Brenton had been telling them then they would let him die. They would be afraid of him, and the haunting creature might hurt them. He didn't want to die, but he didn't want it to hurt anyone either.

Closing his reddened eyes, Drake tried to convince himself that it wasn't there, that the stress of his situation had made him see it. He could feel the distant heat of its foul breath drifting across the room, falling against his skin in brief waves. The soft scratching of its talons against the floor was loud in his ears. It was there, waiting for him to give into and it. "No." He whispered, his muscles tensing. "I wont let you hurt them... you aren't real." To him, it was the worst lie he'd ever told.

The beast took a graceful step forward, the black scales on its legs shimmering darkly as the firelight of its tangled mane glowed. Leathery, burgundy skin covered in ghostly white scars made up the rest of its powerful body. Every time he saw it, its features became more defined, its very being more real. Drake tried to push himself away from it, his body trembling beneath its chains.

"Help me..." He whispered weakly as it moved closer still. "Mom..." _No, don't come in here._ If it got to her he would never forgive himself. Drake looked up into its ever staring eyes, so much like his own. Those eyes, though shaped like his and Brenton's reflected nothing but hate filled flames.

The beast smile awkwardly, its rows of jaggedly sharp teeth fully exposed and dripping with liquid death. The forked, silver pink tongue licked its curled lips as it nodded its head. In that simple movement, Drake knew that he wouldn't leave this house alive. Even if the others couldn't see it, his father could. Brenton was determined to destroy that evil and the body that housed it. And looking at the beast, seeing the destructive intent in its eyes, Drake didn't blame him.

"I don't want to die." He said softly, seeing no pity in the beasts fiery gaze. "You can't be real." The beast shook its head, its tangled mass of blazing hair falling over its face.

_You aren't real._ A hollow, hissing voice echoed against Drake's ears.

Tears burnt against Drake's eyes as he continued to pull at his chains, his wrists bleeding in his useless effort. "I'm real." Drake pleaded with the beast. "Please, go away." He closed his eyes, trying to think of anything but the image sitting before him. "Let me be okay." He prayed, still wishing that the beast was only a product of his stressed imagination.

_I'll take you with me._ The demon promised, its thick arm reaching toward him. Its talon snaked through the chains, resting a sharp tip against the scar on Drake's chest. Although the beast was made of flames, its touch sent chills down Drake's spine, freezing him to the bone. He opened his mouth to scream, the sound stolen as the beast's other paw clamped down over his mouth. _Not yet_. It hissed, its crooked grin widening. _Those screams are for me, not the others._

Drake's body convulsed on the floor, the chains scratching the rotting wood as he tried to free himself from its grasp. No one could hear the silent screams that tore through his lungs as his tears continued to fall. It was going to take him, and there was nothing anyone could do.

~.~

"Josh," Walter breathed, ignoring the hopeful look from Edna. "Whats going on? Where's your mother? Are the others,"

"Dad,"Josh cut him off quickly. "I don't have time, the phones dying." He paused, as if listening for something. "Its an old house, about forty minutes outside the city."

"Are you sure?" Walter asked desperately. Josh had always been sure of anything he said, but given the situation Walter had to be certain.

"You have to hurry dad. There's no time, he's going to-" The line went dead.

Walter pressed the phone against his head, feeling the buttons imprint against his face. "Josh?" His only reply was an uncaring dial tone. "Josh!?" Walter pulled the phone away, looking at the gaudy call ended signal as it flashed across the screen. Without thinking he selected redial, his mind racing with the possibilities of what Josh had been trying to say. The line rang once before going straight to Audrey's voice mail.

"Dammit!" Walter shouted as he threw the phone across the room, rushing over to make sure he hadn't broken it.

"Walter what happened?" Edna demanded, her fear thick on her voice.

"Audrey's phone died." He growled as he slid the battery back into his own phone, waiting impatiently for it to turn on. "He was trying to tell me something," The words were a loud whispered as his mind filled with dread.

"Are they okay?" She asked, afraid to know the answer.

"I don't know." Walter snapped, his frustration getting to him. "Josh, he was trying to tell me something when the phone died."

Edna took a careful step toward the distraught man, her shaking hand resting on his shoulder. She waited until his quivering eyes met her own, her features cold as she searched for answers. "Did he tell you where they were?"

Walter ceased to function as her question broke the thoughts in his mind, his hands closing over the phone in his hands. The most important thing Josh had told him had almost been forgotten. Without answering the older woman, Walter pushed himself to his feet and pulled Marshall's card out from his pocket. His fingers struggled with the digits as his frustration grew, finally getting the number right on the forth try.

"Marshall?" Walter muttered, hoping he had dialed the number correctly.

"Walter," Marshall replied, his voice light. "I was just about to call you. We've tracked your wife's phone to a location about half an hour outside of the city. We're bringing them home."

Walter's face twitched, the hesitant smile finding its way over his lips as he breathed a sigh of relief. "My son just called me," He said, the smile quickly fading. "He said that we needed to hurry,"

"We're on our way." Marshall assured him.

"Thank you." Walter wasn't sure if the sincerity in his voice could fully express his gratitude. Since the children had disappeared all he'd been able to feel were concoctions of worry and anger, and those long sips had left him empty. Then when Audrey had left mere hours ago, all he could feel was that sense of betrayal, bitterly washed down by fresh anguish.

"I'll call you as soon as we know," Marshall stopped, his mind juggling the words he wanted to use. He didn't want to promise anything, not when the outcome was so uncertain. "As soon as the situation is handled." He finished before hanging up the phone.

_~I swear I'm barely sleeping,  
Your heart is barely beating.~_

Slowly, Walter pulled the cellular device away from his head, thanking its creator for it. Without that complex assembly of wires and chips they would have nothing. He could feel Edna's aged eyes on him, burning through his skin as she impatiently waited to know what he had been talking about. "They were able to track Audrey's phone." He said quietly, feeling the relieved grin spread over his face again.

Edna's hands shook as she released her hold on the shawl, her eyes brightening as she tried to smile. "Its going to be okay." She whispered, more to herself then Walter.

"I hope so." He mumbled, hoping against the thick clouds of doubt overshadowing his mind. Without thinking Walter raced toward the door, grabbing his keys. His family needed him.

"Where are you going?" Edna asked, knowing the answer.

Walter offered her a broken smile as he stepped through the door. Forty minutes west of town, that was what Josh had told him. He could be there just as fast as Marshall, he would be there. He was going to save them.

~.~

_~Now is the time, run for the aisle.  
Open your eyes, we won't get out of here.  
Pretty in white, now wait for a smile.  
We the lonely...  
Have gathered here, bearing a child.  
Wrapped up in fear, lying without a sound.  
This can't be right... Nothing good becomes of these miles.~_

Audrey kept her arms protectively over Meghan's body, refusing to release the child into Brenton's reaching hands. She could see the stilling waters reflection on the walls in the fading bits of sunlight from the boarded window. Dancing gracefully, almost willing her to believe that Brenton knew what he was doing. But reflections didn't know pain, and they certainly couldn't judge safety.

"There has to be another way." Audrey murmured.

"We don't have time to look." Brenton answered softly, standing before them. His softened features twisted into dark reflections of the man he used to be, towering over them with dominant rage building in his eyes. "Give her to me."

Audrey shook her head, the fear rising in her soft brown eyes. "I can't."

Brenton's reserve snapped at her words, his hand rising above his head in a preemptive strike. Before he could Swing Meghan twisted herself out of Audrey's hold, standing before her father with quiet strength.

"I'll do it." She said, her small voice echoing against the walls as the reflections danced. She looked down at her mother, shaking her protective hands away from her arms. "I'll be okay mom." Her voice matched the strength in her young eyes.

Brenton lowered his hand, placing it comfortingly on his daughters shoulder. "I'm very proud of you." He whispered. "Such a big girl now."

Her eyes turned toward her father, dark and angry. "If there's evil inside of me, then I want it gone." She replied, playing into his delusion. She wouldn't sit back and watch him hurt her mother. The waters reflections caught her eyes, their somber dance drawing her attention away from her parents. She couldn't deny her apprehension at what her father had been talking about, her hands already shaking as the sweat formed on her neck. Her teeth closed over her lower lip, chewing the flesh until she tasted blood. "What do I have to do?"

Brenton pulled the child close against himself, his hand running over her dark hair. "Just pray the demon away." He said under his breath, his eyes on Audrey. "I can't do this alone."

Pushing herself shakily to her feet, Audrey nodded. "She wont be hurt?"

"Not if I can help it." Brenton replied as he lead Meghan toward the tub, sitting her on the porcelain lip.

Audrey took no comfort in his answer. She followed his pointing hand, standing to his right side as he pulled the tattered Bible from underneath the tub. He'd found it in the main bedroom, sitting on top of the nightstand as if it had been waiting for him. After ripping out the page he had marked, he threw it into the water, watching the pages soak as it sank heavily to the bottom of the tub.

"Holy water." He mumbled before handing Audrey the piece of paper and resting his hands on Meghan's shoulders. "Read the words." He commanded as he pushed Meghan into the frigid water without warning.

Audrey's hands shook as she looked from her daughter to the paper, the words almost unreadable as they trembled into a blur. "Come to us, Lord God, Father of all, and make Holy this water which you have created, so that all who are baptized in it," She stopped speaking, her eyes moving frantically to Brenton. "You're going to drown her!" She shouted as she watched Meghan's hands claw at her father's arm, desperate for air.

Meghan could feel the icy water clawing at her lungs, leaking in with every gasp for air as her head managed to break the surface. She wanted to scream, but the thought of swallowing more of the cold water filled her with a greater fear then being held beneath it. Her finger nails dragged over her father's arms, bits of flesh caught underneath as spots of blood dripped against the water, spreading as the darkness fell over her eyes.

"Keep reading." Brenton grunted, lifting the child briefly before pushing her back under. "Dammit Audrey read!"

"May be washed clean of all Sin, and be born again to live as your Divine Children," She stumbled over the words, her voice rising as she became consumed in her own fear. She let the paper fall from her hands as she tried to reach for Meghan, falling back harshly as Brenton struck her in his annoyance. Bringing her hand to her face, Audrey could feel the heat of the sting. "You're killing her," She sobbed.

"Keep reading the fucking words." Brenton demanded, still holding the struggling girl under the thrashing water. "She's okay, the demon is fighting back."

Audrey crawled toward the paper, the water leaving the words runny as the page became soggy in her hands. "Father God of mercy, through these waters of baptism you have filled us with new life as your very own children." She closed her eyes, the tears burning against her cheeks as the water stopped moving. "Amen." She whispered, gripping the paper so tightly it tore between her fingers.

"Amen." Brenton echoed, pulling the unmoving girl from the freezing waters. His smile turned to a deep frown as he watched her face, eyes closed and lips a blueish tint. "Meghan?"

Audrey dropped the bits of paper, rushing toward her daughter as splinters from the floor imbedded themselves in her hands. "Meghan?" her voice was a mere whisper as the scream built in her throat.

Brenton cradled Meghan against his chest as he slipped to the floor, falling hard on his knees as he pushed the wet hair away from her pale face. "My little Meghan, living inside a dream..." he muttered as he kept his eyes away from the crawling shadows that slithered out from her parted lips. The demon had released his hold on her, she was free.

Without a word Audrey tore Meghan from Brenton's arms, laying her on the floor and pressing her ear against her chest. "She's not breathing." She muttered to herself, trying to keep the panic away as she struggled to remember what she had learned in her CPR class.

"Shes free." Brenton smiled weakly, his hands shaking as the cold numbed his fingers.

"She's dying." Audrey snapped, refusing to look at him. Angling Meghan's head up, she pinched the girl's nose and began breathing into her lungs. _Please,_ She hoped desperately as she tried to give her own life to her daughter. She waited mere seconds before trying again, her heart sinking in her chest as Meghan lay still on the wet floor. "Not like this." Audrey pleaded under her breath.

Audrey laced her fingers together, laying her palms flat against Meghan's chest. She cursed the handcuffs making the action difficult. She began administering the compressions, quick and consistent as her voice shook. "Don't you give up on me." She demanded of the child, her eyes filling with hot tears. "You're a fighter, now fight!"

Just before she pinched her fingers over Meghan's nose again the girl's body convulsed, the gurgling sound rising from her throat as she began to spit up water. Breathing a sigh of relief Audrey pulled Meghan into her arms, holding the shuddering child against herself as the water soaked into her white shirt. "Its okay baby." Audrey said soothingly, her own eyes closed as she felt the air she'd given her daughter hot against her shoulder.

How far could this go before they were all dead? Playing into Brenton's madness wouldn't save any of them, Audrey was sure of that now. If She couldn't find a way to get her children out of this God forsaken house, then she would loose them all.

"I knew you'd save her." Brenton smiled, his eyes glassy as he looked at them. "You chased away the darkness, just like you saved me."

Audrey didn't look at him as he spoke, his words hanging in the stagnant air as she continued to sooth her crying child. She couldn't remember the last time she had seen Meghan cry, and she never wanted to see her cry again. After long moments of silence she pulled away from Meghan. Looking into her wide, red eyes. "Are you okay?"

Meghan nodded, too afraid to say anything.

"C'mon," Audrey whispered softly, helping the child to her wavering feet. She'd give anything to have the handcuffs removed so that she could carry her. She didn't spare Brenton any attention as she helped Meghan back to the room where Josh was, seeing the instant anguish in her step sons eyes. She helped Meghan toward the bed, pulling the moth eaten blanket over her trembling shoulders. "You're going to be okay." Audrey promised, turning her eyes toward Josh.

"Mom," Josh lost his words as his eyes fell upon the pink hand print on her cheek. He'd heard the words from the other room, frenzied whispers against unfeeling walls. His ankle was bleeding, the skin broken by his attempts at pulling free. He hated how powerless he had been when they had needed him, having been able to do nothing more then make a single phone call. "I called dad." He whispered as Brenton made his way into the room.

She nodded proudly at him, her smile stretched across her worried face as she looked to Meghan. She was still shaking, but she was okay.

"Hey baby girl." Brenton's voice sailed softly across the room. Audrey stepped in front of him as he tried to move toward Meghan. With a grunt he pushed her aside, kneeling before his little girl and securing her chain to the bedpost. "You're okay now, its gone." He murmured after gazing into her eyes, the firelight was gone.

Meghan found herself speechless for the first time, her fingers knotting in the dirty blanket over her shoulders. Her father, the smiling face of distant memories had almost killed her.

_~Look into your eyes,  
They burn so bright.~_

"Let them go." Audrey's voice broke the silence. "The evil is gone, now let them go."

Brenton shook his head, patting Meghan on the shoulder before turning toward his ex wife. "We have to kill the demon. Its the only way to keep them safe."

It was everything Audrey could do not to hit him, to let out all of the fury boiling under her skin. "There is no demon." She muttered under her breath, the chain connecting her wrists rattling as her wet shirt clung to her skin. "These are our children's lives you're destroying."

"We have one child left," Brenton growled, annoyed with her ignorance to his nightmare. "and we risk loosing her to _his_ evil." He spat, pointing to the open door.

The slap rang loud against the silence of the room, bringing all eyes one the adults staring each other down. Brenton brought his hand to his cheek, utter betrayal in his eyes as he looked into Audrey's determined gaze. His mouth moved with words he couldn't form as the faces in the room blurred, distorting into withered remnants of human beings. He was alone in this battle, they couldn't see it, and they would stand against him until it was over.

His eyes moved to his own clenched fists, halting as he caught the flash of silver from Josh's hands. "Whats that?" He snarled, knowing the device.

In the chaos Josh had forgotten to hide the cell phone, and he could feel the sweat on his neck as Brenton stormed toward him. He tried to force the useless phone into his pocked, yelping as Brenton twisted his writs and pulled it from his fingers.

"Where the hell did you get this?" He demanded, spittle flying from his lips. 'Who did you call?"

"I," Josh's mind stumbled over responses as he pressed himself against the broken window, feeling the glass crack.

"I gave it to him." Audrey spoke up, her body tense. "I brought it with me."

Brenton turned sharply, his eyes glowing with rage. "How could you?" he demanded, his free hand wrapping around the collar of Josh's shirt.

"I needed to save them." She knew that he couldn't understand, without his meds he was too far gone. "I won't let you hurt them Brenton." Those words had become her faith, her only remaining promise to the world.

Brenton pushed Josh back in his frustration, cringing as the glass broke and the boy jumped. He pulled Josh away from the window, its remaining glass dotted with blood from the boys back and threw him toward the bed. Pained darkness spread across Josh's vision as he landed on his broken arm, the bone pushing harshly against its makeshift bandage. His agonized scream filled the house, sending the shadows into a hungry frenzy.

"This ends now." Brenton mumbled, stepping away from the children and wrapping his hand in Audrey's auburn hair. "We don't have time to wait for the beast to come out." He pulled her forward, ripping strands from her head as he forced her through the door.

"Mom!" Meghan screamed, jumping up from the bed as she tried to follow, the chain around her wrist jerking her back.

Josh gritted his teeth against the pain in his arm, staggering toward the empty doorway. "Don't do it!" He shouted, eyes closed against the darkness creeping over his vision. Every movement intensified the pain in his arm, the fresh wounds tearing across his back. "Drake!" His brother's name was the last thing he remembered before falling unconscious to the floor.

~.~

Drake had heard the shouting, the vibrant voices forcing him out of his temporary sleep. He scanned the room furiously, making sure the demon was gone before setting his eyes to the open door. His mother had screamed Meghan's name, and the fear he'd heard had left him numb. He cringed as his father appeared, dragging his mother in and throwing her to the floor.

"Stay here." he demanded harshly as he disappeared from view.

"Meghan?" Drake asked, watching his mom crawl toward him, blood from her hands spotting against the floor.

"She's okay." Audrey assured him. "So is Josh."

"Mom," he had to tell her it was real, to save her from it if it returned. But he was terrified of what she would say.

"It's going to be okay." Audrey looked at the chains around Drake's body, her hands pulling at them. It was stupid to think that she could break them, but she didn't know what else to do. If help didn't arrive soon... She didn't want to think about what might happen.

Swallowing his fear, Drake looked into his mother's eyes. "Mom its real." He said, biting his tongue as the words froze her movements.

"What are you talking about?" Audrey asked, afraid of what he had meant.

"The demon, its here." He replied urgently. "You have to take Josh and Meghan, you have to leave."

Audrey cupped her hands over Drake's cheeks, her strong eyes focused on his own. "There is no demon Drake. " She assured him. "You're just afraid, your dad's words are getting to you."

"I've seen it." Drake said, turning his face away from her. "I've felt it."

Audrey felt her mouth fill with words, all of them swallowed with the sobs she was trying to contain. She refused to let Brenton's madness infect her son, to let that darkness take him away from her. "You listen to me," She spoke on shuddering breaths, forcing him to look at her. "There is no demon, you aren't evil, you never were." She pushed back her tears, trying to look strong for Drake's sake. "You're dad is crazy."

"He's not," Drake closed his eyes, not wanting to see her worried expression. "It's here, and its coming for me." Drake shook his head, his tears falling against the dirty floor as he struggled against his chains. "You have to let him kill me."

Audrey felt the breath catch in her throat as she looked down at her son, her hands falling away from his face. All the fear she'd felt before seemed meaningless as Drake spoke those words and gave in to Brenton's madness. If he heard Drake say that, then there would be nothing she could do to save him.

On cue, Brenton came back to the room, the heavy scent of gasoline filling the air as he trailed the liquid behind him. _Not again! _The words rang against Audrey's mind as she tried to think of something to do.

Brenton walked across the room, his face empty of conscious thought as he spilling more gas around mother and son. The can fell from his hands as he grabbed Audrey's arms and pulled her away from Drake, tossing her to the corner as if she weighed nothing before dumping the remaining gas onto Drake's body. The boy coughed violently, shaking his head to keep the liquid away from his face.

His fingers trembled as he pulled the matchbook from his pocket, glassy eyes on her. "Call the demon out." He muttered, pulling one match loose and holding it between his fingers.

"Don't do this Brenton." She begged, wrapping her fingers around his leg to try and keep him away from Drake. "He's our son!"

"Our son is dead Audrey." Brenton jerked his leg forward, dragging her with him.

_~This could be a chance to repent...  
I'm left on my knees, Breathing without a sound.  
This could serve as word for the dead  
That there's nothing left worth seeking in this town.~_

Audrey felt her pants tear as her knees began to bleed. She knew what she had to do, her only chance to save her son lay in words her mind was afraid to form. Seven years ago her inability to speak had left five people dead, had nearly gotten her own children killed. If she let them die here then life would be meaningless. Her mind remained blank as the faces of the dead flashed across her closed eyes, so she let her heart speak for her.

"Its not in Drake," She whispered loudly, her hands trembling. "Its inside of me."

_~Now is the time, run for the aisle.  
Open your eyes, we won't get out of here.  
Pretty in white, now wait for a smile.  
We the lonely...  
Have gathered here, bearing a child.  
Wrapped up in fear, lying without a sound.~_

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

**Disclaimer:** The lyrics to _Aisle_ belong to The Bunny The Bear. I listened to it during the entire writing of this chapter, and it held a lot of meaning to me, and the struggle of the characters.

**A/N:** Holy stars things are getting intense. Will Brenton listen to Audrey, will help arrive in time? So many questions...


	15. Everything is going to be okay

"It's not inside of Drake." Audrey whispered loudly, her eyes shimmering with tears. "It's inside of me." Within those three simple words she found no fear. Her voice was strong despite the way her hands continued to shake. Before she was a woman, she was a mother, and her son's life meant more to her then her own. No matter the cost, she was determined to stop Brenton from killing him. She raised her head, her eyes meeting Brenton's with fierce conviction. "Its inside of me." She repeated.

"Liar!" Brenton shouted, snapping out of his trance and dropping the gasoline can onto the floor with a loud clatter.

Audrey shook her head as she pushed herself to her feet, taking Brenton's hand and holding it over her heart. "No," She sighed, unable to look at Drake. "When I saved you from that darkness all those years ago, I took it into myself. I didn't know it then,"

"Not you." Brenton gritted his teeth, his eyes searching for any sign of a lie. "It can't be you, I would have seen-"

"No you wouldn't have." Audrey cut him off. "You've been blinded by love, the same as I've been blind from fear. The demon didn't let me see it, and it forced you to see it in Drake to protect itself." The lies rolled off of her tongue so easily.

Brenton shook his head, his eyes burning with tears he couldn't bring himself to shed. He cupped his hand over her cheek, staring into those eyes that he'd spent restless nights dreaming of. Eyes so much like his own, with a hint of firelight hidden deep inside of them. "It can't be you." he whispered, resting his hands on her hips.

"Don't do this!" Drake shouted, tearing their eyes away from each other. "Mom, its me, its always been me." He couldn't let her take the fall for this.

Audrey noticed the glint of hope in Brenton's eyes and squeezed his hand, drawing his attention back to her. "It doesn't want you to win." She said harshly. "It's trying to distract you."

Brenton looked from Drake to Audrey, his mind tearing away at his sanity as he tried to figure out which one of them to believe. He loved her, had always loved her. If her words were true, if the beast had entered her, then it made sense that it had also made its way into their children. He would never have been able to see it under her affection, lurking in wait. It was easy to believe that the demon had taken Drake. Drake who was the mirror image of himself, of his crazed father before him.

"It's okay." Audrey murmured, glancing at Drake before setting her eyes on Brenton again. "I want it destroyed, so that the children, our children, can be safe. You have to hurry though, its trying to break free." If given too much time to decide, she knew what Brenton would do. He loved her too much to fully believe her words. "Please," She begged through restrained sobs. "Save them."

Drake twisted his wrists in the chains, ignoring the pain as the skin broke. "Don't listen to her dad, I've seen it, I know its real. Take me instead, please."

"Quite!" Audrey's voice was sharp, her eyes trembling as she looked down at him. She slipped out of Brenton's arms, falling to the floor beside her son and touched his face lovingly. "Its going to be okay, help is on the way." She whispered softly. The only thing she could do was hope that help arrived soon.

"Mom, please don't do this." Drake begged. "I know its real, its coming for me." he coughed violently, the thick fumes burning in his lungs.

Audrey's hands shook as she picked up the discarded cloth from the floor, hesitantly tying it into Drake's mouth. If he believed what Brenton had told him, then his words would bring Brenton out of her own. She had to save him, no matter how afraid she was of what she was doing. "I love you."

Drake's distressed gaze left her shaking as he continued to fight against his chains, trying to shout around the gag and get his father's attention.

Brenton turned his eyes toward Audrey, briefly looking at Drake as the boy struggled wildly. He didn't want to believe her as the shadows collected around her, bowing to her like some ancient goddess. The firelight was strong in both of them, and his indecision left his heart pounding loudly in his ears, drowning away their son's muffled pleads. _Their son..._ He hadn't thought of the boy on the floor as their son since he had begun to remember himself.

"It's true..." Brenton muttered in disbelief, falling to his knees beside Drake. He ran his fingers over Drake's face, his eyes filled with memories of a smiling child. _Dad, look what I did!_ Brenton choked on the distant laughter in his throat, his eyes closing and shutting the memory away. "We don't have much time Audrey." He said almost too softly as his fingers crawled across the floor until they rested on her own.

She nodded, her voice lost as she stared into Drake's pleading eyes. In the end, she hoped that he would be able to forgive her for what she was doing. That he wouldn't blame himself. She sighed heavily, collecting herself before meeting Brenton's gaze. "Can I say goodbye to them?" She needed to stall for time, and if her plan didn't work, she wanted them to know that she loved them.

"Of course." Brenton said heavily, pushing himself to his feet before helping her up. He didn't want to let go of her hands as they moved toward the hallway. No matter how much evil was hiding within her, he still didn't want to loose her. After years of searching for answers, of trying to remember her name, he wasn't ready for the answer he'd found.

Audrey let her fingers intertwine with his, taking comfort in his warmth. She hadn't wanted to admit that she missed him, that he still meant anything to her. In her effort to save her family, Breton was the enemy, but she couldn't stop her heart remembering that distant love anymore then she could live without air.

With confusing hesitance, she pulled away Brenton's grasp as her children looked up to her, worry in their young eyes. They could smell the gasoline that Brenton had spilled through the house, and they knew that time was running out.

Josh watched Audrey pulled her hand from Brenton's, they way her fingers traced lightly over the mad man's with longing. "What's going on?" He hadn't been awake for long, and the mind numbing pain was still strong within him.

Audrey shook her head, wrapping her bound wrists over his head and pulling him against her chest. "It's going to be okay." She promised lightly. How many times would that hope filled lie fall from her lips? "I want you to take Meghan out of here, keep her safe for me." Her voice shook as she closed her eyes, the fear coursing through her. "You'll have to come back for Drake," She pulled away from him, her tear filled eyes strong as she stared into his. "Promise me you'll get him home."

"What about you?" Josh didn't like the tone in her voice, nor the fear in her usually soft eyes.

"Promise me Josh." She asked again. She wouldn't tell them what she was doing.

Josh nodded, bringing his hands around her as her fear became his own. "I promise."

Audrey pulled her hands back over his head, resting a shaking hand against his cheek. In the years since she and Walter had been married, Josh had become one of her own. She loved the boy as much as the others. "I'm so proud of the man you've become." She choked, turning her eyes away from him. "Take care of the family."

In those last words Josh knew what she was doing, and all of his reserve left him. "Don't do this mom," He begged softly. "Help is coming, there has to be another way,"

She pressed a finger against his lips, shaking her head. "I came here to protect all of you." She murmured before moving over to Meghan. The girl's usually strong eyes were shaking, her pupils fully dilated as she bit back the cries. It was everything Audrey could do not to weep hysterically as her daughter wrapped her arms around her waist and cried into her shoulder. Too young to understand why, but old enough to know what was happening.

"Shhh," Audrey tried to comfort the girl, running her shaking hands over her long, dark hair. "You're a big girl now, I'm sorry I didn't see it sooner." She would have done anything to turn back time and spare her daughter the horrors of this experience.

Meghan shook her head, pushing back tears as she stumbled over all of the things she wanted to say. "No I'm not," She finally managed. "I still need you."

Audrey felt her heart breaking as she rested her head on Meghan's shoulder. Leaving them like this would tear them apart, and she didn't want that. She wanted help to find them in time, for all of this to become a nightmare they would face together. She couldn't risk Drake being killed, no matter how much she didn't want to die.

"I love you Meghan, so much." There were so many things she wanted to say, but her voice was lost in the sobs ripping through her chest.

"It's time." Brenton called over them, his voice lacking all of its fight. He pushed himself away from the wall, feeling the utter lack of support.

Wiping the tears from her eyes, Audrey looked over to him. "They need to get out of the house."

Brenton nodded, pulling the keys from his pocket and wrapping her hand around them. He moved his eyes toward Josh, seeing the fear and loathing that resided within the boys cold. Blue eyes. "Don't do anything stupid." He grunted.

Josh said nothing as Audrey handed him the keys before going to stand beside Brenton. He would keep his promise and get his siblings out, and no matter what it took, he would save his mom.

Audrey turned her back on the children, hearing the furious clatter of metal keys as Josh searched for the one that would set them free. Her hand found its way back to Brenton's, clasping it tightly as she watched him pick up the remaining can of gasoline from the hallway and lead her toward the master bedroom.

"What about Drake?" She asked, pulling towards his room.

"There's still too much of the demon in him." Brenton whispered, forcing her forward.

All Audrey could do was hope that Josh got to him in time, that they both made it out of this hell.

The pastel wallpaper of the master bedroom had faded into grimy tones as the years had passed, torn and waiting to be replaced. The old dressers were covered in forgotten and dust covered photographs in cracked frames. Brenton sat her on the queen sized bed, the dust rising in dancing clouds as her body hit the stale blankets with their faded flowery designs.

Brenton's eyes glazed over as he began to pour the gasoline around the room, his mind refusing to acknowledge what he was doing. He tossed the empty can aside and knelt down before Audrey, taking her hands into his as he rested his head in her lap. "Not you..." he whispered, tears in his distraught eyes.

She ran her fingers through his disheveled hair, her head falling against her chest. "It's always been me." She had chosen Brenton, had loved him. In her ignorance to his suffering people had died, and he had been reduced to the deranged man now kneeling before her.

Lifting his sight to her somber face, Brenton could see the beasts eyes reflected in her own. His fingers trembled as he pulled the matchbook from his pocket, breaking one stick away and holding it between them. "I'm going with you." His words were full of despair and love.

"Get out of here." She commanded. "You could have a life." If he left her alone, then she could find a way out without him seeing. She could let him believe he'd destroyed the evil and she could go home.

Brenton shook his head. "Without you, I have no life. From the moment we met, I knew that you were the only one who could keep that darkness at bay. I let it take you Audrey, and I'm going to end it with you." For the first time in years he couldn't see the shadows moving across the room, his mind felt empty of all of his fears.

"Don't do this," She pleaded. It wasn't only her escape that troubled her mind now, it was the thought of watching him burn alive. "What about the children?"

Brenton's eyes clouded with tears as he looked away from her. "Our children, aren't mine anymore. You've given them a better life. I won't let you suffer this alone Audrey, even if the beast is inside of you, even after those years of isolated suffering. I love you."

"I love you too." The words fell before her mind could could chase them away. Deep inside, she knew that she had never stopped loving him. That was why she kept the photographs, why every year she remembered him so fiercely. It had never been just the guilt over what had happened, it had been her heart slowly breaking at life without him. She loved Walter, but she also loved Brenton.

Brenton smiled sadly, striking the match and throwing it into the doorway before he crawled into the bed next to her. As the flames rose around the room he kissed her forehead, knowing that those lips belonged to another man. Audrey felt his arms wrap around her, holding her with protective passion as the fires moved across the room. In those moments of heavy fumes and intense heat, she saw the outline of Brenton's nightmares staring back at her.

~.~

Josh felt the chain around his ankle slip, rattling against the floor loudly as he stared in disbelief. The cold metal links shone brightly, stained with his own blood. He turned toward his younger sister, his hands working frantically as he worked to unleash her own chain. They could see the trail of fire rising in the hallway, greedily eating the spilt gasoline before spreading out. They didn't have a lot of time, and he had to get her out, like he'd promised. Then he could go back for Drake, for their mother.

As soon as the chain around Meghan's wrist fell away Josh pulled her into his good arm, hoisting her on his hip. His weakened body strained with her weight as his legs began to shake. Everything hurt, and in the thick smoke it was getting harder to see. "Cover your mouth and nose." He urged before stepping into the burning hallway.

Josh held his breath, charging through the door and down the hallway, through the living room that he had only seen once before. His throat began to burn as his eyes watered, desperately searching for the front door. Beyond the hissing crackle of old wood he could hear the sirens wailing.

Feeling his hopes rise gave him the strength to carry his sister through the house, his eyes finally finding the front door. Everything was going to be okay. The flames were spreading through the old house quickly, trying to trap them inside. Josh swallowed his fears and continued forward, kicking the door open as he ran out onto the porch. The sudden burst of fresh, cold air left him dazed as Meghan slipped from his arm, landing with a thud on her own shaking feet.

"Get away from the house." He told her as he turned to go back inside.

"Where are you going?" Meghan demanded through a fit of coughing. Josh could barely stand, if he went back in there she was sure he wouldn't make it out.

"To get Drake." He yelled as he disappeared back into the house.

After being outside, the intense heat of the house felt unbearable, like it was melting the skin from his bones. Josh pulled his shirt up over his nose, trying to prevent as much smoke from getting inside as he could as his hands lead the way back to the hall. _Please be okay, please be okay._ His voice repeated the words over and over in his mind as he stumbled forward. He didn't want to break another promise.

"Drake?" His voice rung out loudly, swallowed by the burning house.

~.~

Drake twisted in his chains, the heat of the creeping flames smothering him as he fought to breath. He couldn't let his mother do this, to sacrifice herself for him. _Why?_ He demanded, despite no one being able to hear. The flames moved quickly over the lines of gasoline, snaking toward his with monstrous urgency. He was still covered in the gas!

Drake focused all of his remaining energy on moving himself away from the flames, pushing his overly bound body across the scratched floor. Frustrated grunts rose from his throat in between muffled cries for help. He didn't want to die like this. When his back hit the wall he pushed himself into a sitting position, the chain around his ankle preventing him from getting any farther. He kicked at the ever approaching fire, trying to stop its ruthless pursuit as he continued to cry out.

The heat of the room caressed his chains, leaving them burning against his skin as he began to cry. There was no escape, no way to break the chains holding him as the fire followed his trail of gasoline. Looking toward the broken window, he could only hope that Josh and Meghan had gotten out, that they would be spared this agonizing death.

Then he saw it, the creature of flame and death itself moving toward him with unrealistic ease. It walked through the fire, its burgundy skin glowing as the firelight reflected off of the black scales of its legs. Small Firelings, like dancing beasts fell from its parted jaws as it relished in the burning inferno. _Scream._ Its hissing voice demanded brightly as its eyes lit up. His eyes, his fathers eyes.

He hadn't meant to scream, but in his terror it was the only thing he could do. The Firelings pranced towards him, tugging at his pant legs until the material ignited. Slamming his legs harshly against the ground, he tried to put the flames out, but it only made them burn hotter. Feeding off of his fear.

_I'll take you with me._ The beast snarled, spreading its tattered, leathery wings. _Into madness, into sweet, agonizing death._ It pushed its talon through the chains wrapped around Drake's chest, slowly penetrating the old scar and ripping it open. He could feel the blood against his skin, his eyes widening as the smoke left them stinging.

"Drake?" Josh's voice drifted into the room, nearly lost in the crackling woods dying gasps.

The demon growled, an ominous, hateful sound that vibrated against the burning walls of the room. Its eyes flashed white fire as it glared at Drake before fading into the raging flames.

Josh appeared in the hazy doorway, his body shaking as he searched through the smoke in the room for his brother. There, against the far wall, he was still alive! He didn't hesitate as he dashed through the flames, kneeling down beside Drake and pulling the gag from his mouth. "Its going to be okay." He promised, patting out the flames on Drake's legs as he singled out the key he had used earlier. As soon as he had it he began releasing the locks around Drake's wrists first, then his ankle. "Can you walk?"

"Mom?" Drake asked, struggling to push himself to his feet on his own.

"As soon as I get you out, I'm coming back for her." Josh hooked his good arm under Drake's, hoisting him to his feet and leading him towards the door. They jumped back as a beam from the ceiling fell, shattering into blazing splinters around the narrow hallway. "It'll be okay, just keep going." Josh urged.

~.~

Meghan watched as the flames tore through the roof, rising into the night sky. The smoke had covered the stars, leaving only the flames to offer light. _Please, hurry,_ She urged, watching the door for her brothers. She turned her head as the emergency vehicles screeched to a stop in the dirt driveway, leaving a think cloud of dust behind them. Almost immediately the firemen and paramedics began spilling out, rushing toward the house.

"You have to help them!" She screamed, grabbing a fireman's arm.

"Who?" His voice was barely audible beneath his mask.

"My brothers and my mom are still inside. Please," The tears streaked through the dark soot on her cheeks.

The fireman said nothing as he moved away from her, unloading the large firehouse before moving toward the house. Soon, there would be nothing left.

Marshall jumped out of his car, his horrified eyes immediately finding Meghan as she fought with the paramedic trying to attend with her. He sprinted across the front lawn, stopping beside her to try and calm her down. "Meghan?" He asked, hiding the urgency in his voice.

"They won't listen to me." She snapped, pulling away from the paramedic. "They need help."

"Who needs help?" Marshall asked, placing his hands on the child's shoulders.

"My brothers, and my mom. They're still inside." She sobbed, her voice desperate.

Marshall pulled away from the girl, his eyes on the ever spreading fire. With all of those flames, it was unlikely that anyone was left alive. He'd made a promise to Walter, that he was going to bring his family back. Without thinking Marshall ran up the creaking stairs, his head spinning as the heat hit him full force. Just through the smoke he could see two moving bodies, and he fought his instincts to run as he moved toward them.

Standing in the clouds of smoke, silhouetted against the flames were both of Walter's boys. Marshall couldn't speak, the smoke too thick in his lungs, so he wrapped his hands over their shoulders, pushing them toward the open door. He silently urged them forward, feeling the exhaustion in their steps. He refused to let them give up now. Once he had them through the door, the paramedics rushing forward, he turned back into the house. Violent coughs ripped through his chest as he searched for Audrey. He couldn't be in here much longer, but he was to stubborn to quit now.

The boys fell into the reaching arms of the paramedics, feeling the oxygen masks being pressed against their faces after they'd been pulled away from the house. Their bodies were lifted onto the stretchers, their sight blocked by hurried bodies checking over them.

Josh let his head fall back, light headed from the oxygen making its way back into his lungs. He hadn't realized that he was on fire until the paramedics had started patting him down, but he could feel the burns on his back now. He screamed as someone touched his arm, the overall pain and exhaustion throwing him into darkness.

Drake struggled to see the house, his eyes trying to see through the paramedics around him to the door. He didn't care if he lived anymore, he just wanted to see his mom pulled out of there alive. She had promised him that everything would be okay. She had to make it out of there.

~.~

Everything inside of her screamed run as the flames circled the bed, the only thing holding her back were Brenton's arms. In a brief flash of harsh fire she had seen something lurking in the shadows, and her fear had been the only thing to stop her from screaming. She could feel Brenton's hands shaking as he held her, the stifled sobs he was trying to repress grazing over her ears.

"I'm sorry Audrey." He gasped. "I let this happen to you."

She bit her lip, tasting the copper coated blood as it fell against her tongue. "It's okay." She stuttered, watching the flames as they drew closer. There were so many thing she wanted to say, words of love and hate swelling in her throat, but all she could do was cry. She was doing this so that her children could live, and given the chance, she would do it again. She didn't want to die in this house, unable to tell Walter that she was sorry, to tell him she loved him. Unable to be there for the lives still ahead of her children.

Her hands clenched over Brenton's, holding them against her pounding heart as the tears soaked into the ruff pillow beneath their heads. "Thank you," She whispered. "For staying with me." _For believing me... _

"I would follow you to the ends of the earth." He murmured in her ear. "No matter the cost."

Her body shook in fear and despair as Drake's muffled screams drifted into the room. Her movement to go to him stopped by Brenton's grasp. "It has to be done." He grunted.

Brenton closed his eyes, inhaling the remnants of her shampoo as the smoke made its way into his lungs. In the darkness of his eyes lids he could see their lives together, years of life compressed into brief images. The day they had met, their wedding and the births of their children. The only happy days he'd ever known had been over too quickly, destroyed by an evil that had followed him through life.

The visions shifted, their truths leaving him broken. He saw himself seven years ago, his eyes empty as he spilled gasoline around their home, he had done it. He saw his son as the teenager he had become, bound and bleeding against unfeeling floors. No demon, no firelight to provoke him into his beliefs. Brenton opened his eyes, staring into the phantom faces of all of the people he had killed in his pursuit to destroy the evil that had tormented his family, seeing only himself in their dead eyes.

He told himself that it was all a trick, that the demon wanted him to change his mind and take its host out from the burning house. Shaking his head, he wrapped his arms tighter around Audrey, holding her struggling body in place as the flames crawled onto the bed. Brenton blinked away the phantom faces and false realizations, his eyes falling onto the beast standing in the doorway. Its blackened lips curled into a sickening smile as the flames began eating away at his flesh, and all he could do was scream.

~.~

Marshall followed the screams to the last door in the hallway, his clothes singed and lungs fighting for air. It didn't take him long to see the bodies on the bed, one completely consumed by flames and the other quickly catching. He forced his way over to them, finding Audrey unconscious is Brenton's arms and quickly began to pull them away.

He couldn't stop the terrified yell from himself as Brenton's charred body sprang up, brown eyes bright against the melted skin of his face as he reached for Audrey, refusing to see her taken away. Thinking fast, Marshall balled his fist and swung at the nearly dead man, sending his flying from the bed. Brenton writhes on the floor, his remaining body being swallowed completely by the flickering flames.

Marshall used the bits of non-burning blanket to pat out the flames on Audrey's body. Carefully, he pulled her into his arms and headed back toward the door, hoping that she was still alive. The ceiling was falling in, the smoke thickening as the firehouses fought to put out the flames. He'd made his way back into the living room, bumping roughly into the burning chair. He'd nearly dropped Audrey in the collision.

Marshall blinked rapidly, clearing his eyes as he tried to get himself turned back onto the right path. With every second he spent inside the house he found it harder to breath. Marshall's grip was slipping, his lungs burning as the effort to breath became nearly impossible. There was no time to spare on being lost, not if either of them were to survive.

He breathed a harsh sigh of relief as the shadowy figure of a firefighter made its way through the smoke, collecting the woman from his arms and lading him back toward the door. "Is there anyone else inside?"The man shouted over the falling wood.

Marshall shook his head, urging the man forward. Brenton was gone, and everyone he'd set out to save was outside now.

~.~

Walter had arrived mere moments after Marshall had charged into the house, seeing the man just before the flames had engulfed the doorway. If it hadn't been for the rising flames and flashing lights he would have driven right past it. Pulling the car out of the way of the emergency vehicles, he slammed the brakes and jerked the door open. _Dear God... _

In no time Walter found himself running across the yard, his eyes on his daughter still fighting the hold of a paramedic holding a syringe filled with a sedative. She was screaming, trying to run back into the house and it filled him with fear. Someone was still inside!

"Meghan!" His voice tore from his lungs, drawing the child's attention away from the house.

"Dad!" Her eyes glimmered with tears as her head fell against her chest, running toward him and falling into his open arms. "Mom's still inside." She sobbed, burying her face against his chest to hide her shame. She should have done something to help, but all she'd been able to do was stand and scream.

Walter pushed his fears away as he held her, trying to comfort her with empty words as he watched the house begin to collapse. "It's gonna be okay." He promised, though he didn't believe his words. He turned his head, firelight reflecting in his tears as he searched for the boys. His arms relaxed as he found them, both on stretchers. _Let them be okay._ He prayed as Meghan shook in his arms.

Something in the house exploded, raining down burning embers into the yard. Walter's sight shifted to the house, his arms closing tightly around Meghan as he tried to keep her from looking. His legs began to shake as the shadows pushed through the door, two moving bodies and one laying unmoving in another's arms. Walter felt his knees buckle, his legs giving out in a heavy mixture of worry and relief as he saw Audrey's blackened face. He wanted to run toward her, to know that she was alive, but he couldn't move.

He quickly lost sight of Audrey as she was handed over to the paramedics, disappearing behind their frantically working bodies. It took everything he had to pull away from Meghan, urging her to do as the paramedic needed as he stumbled in a daze across the yard. _Audrey...Audrey...Audrey!_ He would have screamed if he could find his voice.

Walter didn't see Marshall as the man moved beside him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Is she?" he couldn't bring himself to say the words. If he said them, then he gave them the chance to be real.

"The paramedics are going to do everything they can." Marshall choked. "We can follow them to the Hospital." He knew that Walter wanted to be by her side, but the paramedics needed room to work.

Walter watched the flames reflections dance over the ambulances as his family was loaded up. Josh and Meghan to one, Drake and Audrey to the other. His heart sank as the doors were closed, the sirens shrieking over the yells of the men still fighting to control the blaze. _Its going to be okay._ He told himself, falling to his knees as the house collapsed.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~

**A/N:** Not gonna lie, I had to stop writing this chapter multiple times, because everything about it had me in tears. Audrey's sacrifice and Brenton's staying in the house weren't in the original outline, but were inspired by the song I will follow you into the dark. It just worked for that moment, to me at least.


	16. Strength

The only thing she could feel was pain, intense burning rushing over her body in merciless waves despite the morphine in the I.V. She knew that the flames had been put out, but she could still feel them licking her skin, leaving behind scarring saliva. She was alive, and for that she was grateful, but the pain tearing through her body stole that relief away.

Despite the pain of the action, she turned her head to look at her son, needing to know if he was okay. All of her suffering would be worth it if he had come out of that house alive. Audrey looked at the oxygen mask over Drake's face, seeing it fog with his labored breathes. Her lips twitched into a strained smile, her vision blurring with tears she couldn't feel. He was breathing, barely so but he was alive. Through the intense ringing in her ears, she could hear the heart monitor attached to herself, and the one assigned to Drake. The slow, unsteady tones frightened her, as did the paramedic moving between the two, her hands working feverishly to keep them alive.

Audrey tried to speak to the woman, to thank her for what she was doing and ask about Drake, but her voice wasn't working. Her throat felt like it was burning and all she could do was cough. The woman simply put a careful hand on her shoulder, urging her to save her strength. The thought of strength left Audrey feeling weaker then ever. All of her courage had gone into saving her children, and there was still a chance she could loose them, that she might have failed.

Even with the medical aid, her body was writhing in torment. The slow numbing still left feeling, and even when it had blissfully disappeared, she knew what had become of her. She'd caught her brief reflection on the window. What remained of her hair was dreadfully singed, her ash covered skin couldn't hide the blisters and scars that would form. If her children saw her this way...

Closing her eyes, Audrey struggled to take a deep breath. She couldn't give in, not until she knew that Drake was going to be okay. Even if he saw her this way, if the image haunted him for years to come, he had to push past it. He had to survive.

Drake drifted in and out of consciousness, every moment of awareness bring less pain to his throbbing body. For the first time in what felt like a lifetime the air in his lungs was clean, no dust, no smoke. He could feel the forced rising of his chest, his heart pounding loudly against his ears and drowning out the sounds around him. He didn't know where he was, he was still afraid to open his heavy eyes.

His leg twitched, the burns stretching, blood oozing from the cracked flesh. His legs had been on fire, he remembered that. When the demon had sent its Firelings on him... In the darkness of his eyelids he could still see them, the dancing fire in their malicious eyes. They had wanted to eat the flesh from his bones with their burning teeth.

He could feel his heartbeat quickening as he remembered, the fear sending him into quiet panic. All of the evil his father had seen was still alive in him, it had escaped those blazing walls hidden within his skin. Drake's arms shot up, viciously clawing at his chest as he tried to free himself of its smoldering burden. _It has to be destroyed._ He told himself, _The others have to be safe, from me._

The heart monitor began its high pitched beeping, alerting the paramedic to Drake's condition. She moved over to him, grabbing his arms to stop him from hurting himself. "Calm down, you're okay." She tried to sooth him, not knowing what had him so afraid. It took all of her strength to push his wrists into the padded straps at the sides of the stretcher, the blood on his fingers leaving slick trails over her arms. Once he was secured she prepped the sedative, carefully measuring the dose as the Ambulance bumped along the road.

Audrey watched in horror as the woman forced Drake's wrists into the straps, his own blood coating his fingers. She knew what was wrong with him, could feel it in her heart. In that house, Brenton's delusions had poisoned his mind. He was fighting something that no one else could see. Forcing herself to her side, she extended her hand to him, not looking at the blood dotted bandaging on her arms. She had to let him know that it was over, that those nightmares weren't real.

Drake pulled against the restraints, feeling the bones in his wrists scream in protest as fresh pain raced through him. He could feel the warm hands against his chest, burning the skin they touched in their effort to clean the small lacerations his nails had left. He wanted to die, why couldn't those healing hands understand that? His body was racked with pain and the demon was still there, waiting for its chance to hurt everyone he cared about.

He wasn't strong enough to hold the beast prisoner within himself, he knew that. It would break free of its fragile prison, it would destroy everything. His own heartbeat faded from his ears as the demons taunting chuckle beat against his mind. Its deep, gravely voice sending burning chills down his spine. His back arched, the stifled scream rising in an inhuman shriek from his burning throat.

The paramedic struggled to close her hands around the vein in his arm, gritting her teeth as she pushed the needle through his skin and pushed the plunger down. She hadn't been on the job long, and all of her former confidence was deteriorating as she watched the boy. She didn't know what to do to help him.

Drake could feel his mind numbing to everything around him as his body went limp. All of his thoughts of demons and distress slowly faded from his mind, leaving him in a state of oblivion that he welcomed like an old friend. To not feel any of it, the pain and fear. He told himself that he was dying, that this blissful relief was his ravaged soul laving a broken body. He couldn't remember a more comforting thought. In the end, he didn't care as long as the suffering was over.

Audrey strained to reach her hand across the ambulance, shooting the paramedic a daring glare as the woman moved to stop her. They were loosing him, and she had to stop his decent into himself. Her body screamed with every movement, her remaining skin breaking. She ignored all of it as her fingers finally found Drake's, grasping them as tightly as she could manage. With her free hand, she pulled the oxygen mask from her face, gasping as it became harder to breath.

Again the woman moved to stop her, reaching forward with worried blue eyes.

"No," Audrey's voice rasped harshly, her glassy brown eyes fierce. She turned her attention back to her son, softly calling his name though it left her throat sore. "Drake," Audrey coughed, tasting the bitter blood on her tongue. "Don't give up, not now."

Drake could hear his name drifting through his hazed mind on a voice he barely recognized. He knew that voice, though he couldn't imagine who it belonged to. Like an unearthly angel, pulling him from the darkness. It was begging him to hold onto the life he was desperately trying to will away. He shook his head, wanting to keep falling into the painless abyss. To be free of everything that had broken him down. The voice continued to break through the walls of his mind, forcing him to hear his own heartbeat again. The numbed tingling of his body returned to his thoughts, brutally reminding him that he was still alive.

"Its over now Drake." Audrey croaked, squeezing her eyes shut against the pain of speaking. "No one can hurt you anymore. But you can't stop fighting yet," Unfelt tears crept across her face. "You've been so strong, you only have to fight a little longer."

He could feel the tears burning against his closed eyes, breaking free and forcing his eyelids to part slightly. He didn't want to see the world, to know that he was still there. He wasn't strong, he had let the demon hurt the people he loved. It had taken his mother away from him. He didn't want to live under that guilt.

Audrey coughed again, feeling the smoldering hurt in her lungs clear as she spit the dark blood onto the floor. "I know it hurts now," She said, her voice temporarily clear of its afflictions. "But that pain won't last forever. You're going to be okay." She gasped, squeezing his hand as her body shook.

Drake heard that soft voice, a voice he'd thought had been swallowed by the raging flames and he felt something other then pain. The slight pressure on his hand radiated with a gentle warmth, easing away the fear that had held him close. Pushing past the remnants of pain he could still feel, he forced his lungs to accept the oxygen being distributed to him, his eyes hesitantly opening.

His drug clouded vision left the world around him in shifting blurs, making him nauseous as he turned his head toward the voice that had been calling out to him. It had been an angel, though not the kind he'd seen in movies. It was the kind who never left your side, who shook her head and sighed when you'd messed up. Who made everything okay when you were hurt. It was his mother. She was alive. In his distorted sight he couldn't see the various afflictions left by the fire, just the face he'd always known.

"I'm so proud of you." She rasped, her eyes filling with distant pain she couldn't hide. "I love you so much..."

Her hand slipped from his and wrapped around herself as her body began to convulse. The paramedic pushed herself forward then, all of her training coming back to her as she fought to stabilize the mother who had filled her with such inspiration in those short moments. A woman who, despite being close to death herself had risked her life to pull her son back.

The ambulance jerked roughly before peeling to a halt, the paramedic up front jumping out to open the back door and help move them into the hospital.

"We're losing her," The woman shouted, prepping the defibrillators. Audrey had stopped breathing, the heart monitor now making a shrill, chilling sound. The Paramedic grabbed her small scissors, cutting open the ruined cloth of Audrey's white shirt before applying the pads to her bare chest. "Clear!"

Drake watched the chaos though his slipping sight, feeling the pull of the drugs he'd been administered. The last thing he remembered was reaching for his mother's limp had as the darkness overtook him.


	17. Please

With frantic eyes he had watched five members of his family rushed behind the emergency doors as persistent hands had held him back. He'd pulled and shouted, desperate to know if they would be okay. His children, only briefly in his sight were gone again, his wife, the remnants of her he'd glimpsed. He'd told himself that she was okay, that the firelight and smoke had only masked her in an ugly shell. Underneath that ash and soot she was still herself, still alive. They all were. How many times would he have to tell himself that before he finally believed it?

Walter could still taste the blood from his lip on his tongue, having bit it to stop himself from cursing at the people who'd held him back. They were doing their jobs, he understood that. But why couldn't they understand his suffering? All of the fear strengthened by the uncertainty of what was happening behind those swinging doors. His stomach had never been so unsettled, his mind so full of thought. It was maddening.

Despite the chaos of the hospital lobby he could hear the clock, it's ticking echoing loudly against his ears. He'd lost track of how long he'd been waiting, and the once hot cup of coffee in his hands had grown cold and stagnant. He could still feel that distant burn tingling against the skin, but he couldn't bring himself to let the cup go. It would be so easy to give up on this weak cup of coffee like its warmth had. To just throw it away after all it had tried to do. How simple it would be to spill its life down a drain and throw the cup out, to leave it forgotten.

Walter kept his hold on the cup, its Styrofoam dented by his fingernails as the endless minutes drove against his mind. Every time he closed his eyes he saw that house, its bulk consumed in harsh flames, the heavy smoke blocking out the gentle lights of the sky. Remembering the explosion from within the house made him jump, the cold, dark liquid spilling over his hands and dripping onto the garishly white tiled floor. He didn't care about the mess he left here, let it stain. He needed to fix the mess he'd made at home, the wreck that Brenton had left his family in.

He knew that Brenton hadn't made it out of that house alive. He had burned alive, and Walter hoped that he had suffered every moment of it. He couldn't deny the dark pleasure it gave him to know that the man was dead. He wasn't sure if it was his envy chuckling darkly against his mind, or the plain fact that Brenton had hurt his family, and he had suffered for it. Either way, Walter couldn't bring himself to care.

Forty minutes passed before a nurse came through the swinging emergency room doors, dark smudges on her otherwise pristine uniform. With careful steps she approached him, her feet not making a sound as she moved across the floor. She stopped in front of him, placing a soft, clean hand on his shoulder. "Would you like to see your daughter?"

Wordlessly, Walter followed the small woman towards the doors, hesitating as if he expected to be stopped again. He looked over to the other employees going about their business, none of them sparing him even a glance.

"I can go through this time?" He asked, his voice small with his apprehension.

She nodded, her soft face scrunching into a smile as she beckoned him forward. His listened with distant eyes as she explained that Meghan was all right, shaken up, but otherwise physically unharmed. He was thankful for that, though he couldn't bring himself to smile. Her body may have escaped that house, but her mind would still be trapped there for a long time.

Walter didn't realize he was still holding the cup until he saw Meghan, and it fell from his hands. The unwanted coffee splattered against the floor as the cup bounced softly, it's cry drowned out by the timid sound of her voice.

"Dad?" She coughed lightly, her eyes brimming with tears. She looked so small and afraid in the hospital bed, her arms wrapped around her knees. He had never seen her look so utterly forlorn.

"Meghan," Walter rushed forward, wrapping his arms around the child and holding her close against his heaving chest. His fingers ran through her dirty, dark hair as she shook against him. "You're okay." He whispered, knowing that beneath the flesh, she was as distraught as he was.

It took all of her will to pull away from his comforting arms, to look into his eyes and search for the answers she was afraid to find. "What about Mom? Josh and Drake?" Her voice squeaked before she began coughing again.

Walter shook his head, the guilt of not knowing eating away at his smile. "I haven't been told anything yet." He placed his hand against her check, wiping away the tear with his thumb. "You're the first one they let me see." He couldn't put into words how happy he was to see her there, alive.

She wanted to back away from his touch, to be angry with him for not knowing. He was an adult, he was supposed to know. Whenever she wanted answers they hid them from her, there had never been a time when one of her parents just didn't know. Everything within her wanted to call him a liar, to make him tell her anything, even if it was a lie. She couldn't stand just sitting there, wondering.

Meghan closed her dark eyes, letting her tangled hair fall over her face as she tried to hide her frustrated tears. "Do you," She hesitated, catching her breath. "Do you think they're okay?"

His heart beat heavily against his chest as Walter fumbled over answers to her seemingly simple question. He hoped that they were, that every one of them would pull through this. He wanted to tell her that everyone was going to be okay, just like her. But to make empty promises built on hopes was to lie to her. And if anyone was lost, he couldn't face the guilt of that lie. "I hope so." He finally answered, pulling her against him, to comfort not only his little girl, but himself as well.

"I'm sorry that I left dad." She murmured under her breath. Her small body began to shake violently as she struggled to hold back her tears. She didn't want to cry anymore.

Walter tightened his hold on her, shaking his head against her hair. He could still smell the fire. "I forgive you." He whispered.

~.~

Josh sat propped against the pillows, his hazy eyes on the cast that had been placed over his broken arm. He was supposed to be asleep, and had been until the nightmares had forced him awake. All of the drugs in the world couldn't pull him away from the guilt and worry coursing through his mind.. No matter how many nurses scolded him for being awake, no matter how many pills they offered, he didn't want to fall back into those fiery hallucinations. Alone in this room, he couldn't find any peace, and every passing shadow beneath the door left him anxious.

He remembered getting Meghan out of the house, the heat tearing at his skin as he'd gone back in. He could still taste the smoldering air every time he exhaled, threatening to suffocate him. He'd found Drake, his legs had been on fire but he'd put them out, hadn't he? Josh shook his head, assuring himself that he had put out the flames, knowing that somehow, they had gotten out together. His memories were as clouded as the smoke filled rooms had been, hiding from him the truths he desperately needed to find.

No matter how much he strained his mind, he couldn't remember getting his mother out. He'd told himself that he would save her, and now he didn't know if he'd even tried. Nothing made sense to him after getting Drake out of that room. He was almost certain that someone had helped them out, but after that, there was only darkness.

His eyes widened and shot toward the door to the room as it was pushed open, his body relaxing as his father walked in. Josh bit his lip against his own tears as his fathers feel freely. His mouth moved to call out to his father, but his voice was lost as the guilt washed over him.

"Josh," Walter walked over to his son, looking over the cast with hurt eyes. He didn't want to know how his son's arm had been broken, or about the scars he'd been told Josh would have on his back. Not yet anyway. Right now he just wanted to help Josh feel better, because the pain in his eyes was almost unbearable to see. "I missed you," He whispered, leaning over the bed to wrap an arm around the boy.

It had been three hours since he'd been aloud to see Meghan, and the doctors had brought him back so that he could convince Josh to sleep. Josh had never had trouble sleeping in his entire life, and Walter could see the dark bags under his son's eyes, the pure exhaustion on his face.

"Dad..." Josh barely managed the word. He didn't deserve his father's comfort. "Dad." His voice shook as he pulled away from his father, feeling the stitches on his back strain against his movements.

Walter looked down at his son, seeing the struggle on the boys trembling lips. "What's wrong Josh?" He asked softly, wanting desperately to comfort his son.

Josh shook his head, his fists clenched as he fought the feelings building inside of himself. Guilt and rage churning his stomach, threatening to make him sick. "I couldn't protect them," Josh muttered, secretly afraid the if they died, Walter would blame him. "I was supposed to keep them safe, and I, I failed them."

Walter pulled Josh into his arms, wincing as the boy inhaled sharply with pain. "It wasn't your fault son," He replied softly. "You did your best, you got Meghan and Drake out of that house. They're alive because of you."

Josh scoffed, his fists shaking as his fingers knotted into the sheets. "I let them get hurt, because I was afraid." He'd been terrified for his own life, he'd lead Drake right into Brenton's trap after promising that he wouldn't let him be hurt.

Walter pulled back, forcing Josh to look him in the eyes, refusing to let him take the blame for what Brenton had done to them. "Listen to me Josh, you did everything that you could. You saved your brother, and your sister." Walter blinked away his own tears, trying to remain strong for the boy. "Don't let what that monster did poison your mind. You were brave, and I'm very proud of you."

_Audrey had told him that she was proud of him_. Josh felt his shaking fingers release the blankets as his good arm encircled his father, his head falling against Walter's shoulder. Those overpowering waves of grief flooded over his guilt, leaving him cold in its absence. All of the things he should have done differently didn't matter right now, not when the bittersweet relief of being free, being alive was so strong. With his father sitting beside him, countering every negative thought with an ounce of positivity he couldn't hold onto his mental turmoil.

"I'm sorry dad." He choked out between sobs, gritting his teeth painfully as he tried to stop the tears from falling.

Walter closed his tired eyes, feeling the warm tears roll across his cheeks as he strived for the words Josh needed to hear. "It wasn't your fault." He mumbled. "There was nothing else you could have done." His eyes fell back to the cast on Josh's arm, his own anger igniting as he tried to reason out what had happened to make him feel this guilty. He couldn't imagine how much any of his children had suffered at the hands of that madman, he just wished that he could take the pain away from them.

Josh didn't argue his faults anymore, knowing that his father wouldn't listen. No matter how many times Walter tried to assure him that he'd done his best, he would always know that it was wrong. The nightmare may have started with Brenton, but it had become real because of him, and he would never forgive himself for that.

It took twenty minutes for Walter to finally convince Josh to take the offered sleep aids and get the rest his body needed. And he spent the better part of an hour listening to his son mumble incoherently in his tormented sleep, fighting the urge to wake him from his nightmares. He had refused to leave the boys side until a disheveled doctor came through the door, telling him that he could see Drake.

"He's been sedated, and restrained." The doctor spoke, his gruff voice grating on Walter's ears.

"Why?" Walter demanded sharply. Exhaustion and anxiety overpowering the need to be polite.

The doctor stopped, rubbing his balding head with wrinkled hands. "He kept trying to hurt himself. We found no hallucinogenics in his system, but he was convinced that there was an evil within him that he needed to kill. He was trying to claw himself open in the ambulance."

Walter nodded, knowing that those were Brenton's words. "Is he going to be okay?"

Sighing heavily, the doctor shrugged his hunched shoulders. "It may just be the stress of what happened, and once he knows its over he'll go back to normal. But according to family records, mental complications run in Drake's family, and this experience may have triggered them. We won't know for sure until he's awake and coherent."

"How is he physically?" Walter asked softly as they continued toward Drake's room.

"He'll have some light scarring on his legs, where his pants caught fire. And probably a few on his wrists from the restraints he's been under for the last few days, and the marks he made across his chest. Aside from that, mostly bruises." The doctor stopped in front of the door, slowly pushing it open. "He's lucky to be alive."

"I know." Walter muttered as he stepped into the room.

It crushed his all ready pained heart to see Drake laying on the bed, his wrists restrained in the padded cuffs along the railing. His soft footfalls echoed against the walls, their sound mixing with the consistent beep of the heart monitor and humming of the various other machines in the room. Tired eyes fell upon the collection of bruises across Drake's face, the split lip and cut above his eye.

The kid had been through hell, and Walter couldn't tell himself that it was going to be okay. If he couldn't believe those hollow words, then how was he supposed to tell Drake that? He'd never been able to connect with Drake, he just didn't understand him. And he knew nothing of mental instability. If Drake fell into that darkness, Walter didn't know what he'd be able to do to pull him out.

"Drake," Walter knew that the boy couldn't hear him, but it would be easiest to say these words now. "Don't believe what your dad told you. There is no monster inside of you, he was the monster. He's gone now."

His body jerked back as he watched Drake twist in his sleep, his lips curling as he mumbled under his breath. The only word he could understand was the slight muttering of the _beast_, and it brought tears to Walter's eyes. How far could the boy have fallen in just a few days? If they couldn't pull him back from those burning hallucinations, then there was no saving him. He'd be lost, forever tormented, just like his father.

"I won't let that happen to you." Walter promised, reaching over to set his hand on Drake's shoulder. He was burning up. "I'll find a way to fix this." He wanted to stay, to keep by Drake's side and try to will away the boy's nightmares, but he couldn't stand seeing him this way. With hesitant steps Walter forced himself out of the room, his body falling against the hallway wall as he let the force of grief he'd been fighting to hold back free.

~.~

Everything was on fire, and no matter how much he tried, he couldn't escape the heat beating against his skin. The only light came from the fiercely dancing flames, and they refused to light his way through the never ending darkness. He was trapped here, and every step he took away from the laughing shadow in the flames only brought him closer to it.

The Firelings burst though their fiery wombs, waving their clawed hands hysterically as they reached for him, grabbing his pant legs and pulling him down into the swirling shadows of the ground. Like creeping, thorned vines the shadows crawled over his body, holding him still as the beast came forward. Here in his mind, it was more terrifying then it had been in the waking world.

The black, tangled hair took the shadowy shape of withered, reaching hands. Its teeth grew too large for its jaws, tearing through them as the liquid fire bled through. Every drop produced a new Fireling ready to do its master's bidding. The black scales on its lower limbs shone against the flames like polished marble, and in their reflections Drake could see the faces of all of the people who had died at its hands, all dead because of him.

He could see his mother's face their, her own grief reflected in her tormented brown eyes. Her voice was lost to him as she called out, her hand beating against the scaled prison.

_She's mine now._ The demon's voice shook the ground, its breath reeked of smoldering flesh. _And you __are too. You can't escape me, I'm inside of you, I own you._

"No, you're not real." Drake screamed, pulling against the vine like shadows until his body bled. There were traces of fire in his blood. "Please, leave me alone you beast."

_You're never alone. I am you._ The demon stepped forward, its eyes replaced by raging flames in endless black holes. With each step it left behind pools of molten lava, the hands of the dead reaching out, begging to be released from their eternal torment._ Come with me Drake, set them free. _

"No" The boy whimpered, burning tears falling over his face. He felt his body falling into the shadows restraining him, becoming a part of them and the demon laughed. "I'm not like you."

_You've always been a part of me, boy._ The demon extended its paw, sharp talons shining maliciously in the firelight. His long, reptilian tail swept through the shadows, wrapping around Drake and squeezing the air from his lungs. _ We'll burn the world together._

Drake's voice was an endless scream buried deep within his mind. No one could save him, he was the monster that they didn't believe in and he could never escape it.

~.~

The doctor watched Walter with sad eyes as the man stood broken outside of his son's room. He'd seen pain before, on countless family's faces over his years of work and it never got easier. Over time, he'd had to numb himself to their grief just to keep going. This man was already in such a state of despair, he knew his next words would send him falling.

"Sir," He spoke softy, keeping his hands folder over the clipboard pressed against his chest.

Walter turned toward the doctor, wiping the tears away from his face as he tried to compose himself. "I want to see my wife." He demanded softly. He was afraid of what had become of her, why they were keeping him away. If he could just see her and know that she was okay, then he could begin to sort through this.

The Doctor nodded, leading Walter down the maze of corridors to the intensive care units, his steps heavy. "We've done all that we can," He explained as he stopped at the door. "But we're still loosing her. I'm afraid," he stopped, letting his own failure out on a heavy sigh. "She may not last the night."

Walter didn't wait for the doctor to continue speaking as he burst into the room, staring with teary eyes at the machines attached to Audrey, forcing her to stay alive. All of the pain he'd felt until now was lost as his mind twisted with desperate pleads for the doctor's words to have been lies.

She was more bandage then woman, and he could see the blood staining against the cruel white wrappings. Her heartbeat was so weak, the forced rising of her chest making his own hurt. Walter moved to her side, carefully taking her cold hand into his own, willing his warmth into her. His free hand ran over her face as he cursed the bandages that kept him from her skin. He'd give anything just to touch her, to look into her eyes and find some hope that the doctor was wrong.

Leaning forward, he kissed her forehead and pulled the old, worn chair to the bedside, never letting go of her hand. He couldn't stomach the thought of these being their last moments together, not when there was so much he wanted to apologize for. "Oh Audrey," Her name was a whisper on trembling lips, just to say it out loud, to know that this may be the last time brought tears to his eyes. "Audrey..." It was everything Walter could do not to break down beside her.

"I'm so sorry for how I acted before, I didn't mean any of it. I was just afraid that you loved him, I was jealous." He felt so stupid for how he'd treated her. He'd always known that she loved him. "I never meant to hurt you."

His eyes rose to her face, seeing the almost hidden twitch of her eyelids. "I love you so much. I can't imagine life without you, your smile. And the kids," His voice trailed off. What would they do without her? "I can't raise them by myself." he confessed, squeezing her hand, trying to take comfort in that small space of flesh. He could feel her pulse beating softly against his fingers. "I can't do anything without you." he murmured.

"Meghan needs a woman in her life, she needs a mother. How can she grow up without you there to guide her? Drake needs you now more then ever. I, I don't know how to help him through this." Walter stopped talking, knowing that he was using the children to mask his own need.

"I need you." He shook his head, the tears splattering and soaking into his shirt sleeve. "I need you to catch me when I fall, to give me strength when the world seems too big. I need your smile to pull me forward. God Audrey, without you, I'm nothing. I'm just a man, and that isn't much anymore." He tried to smile at his joke, but there was no joy in the empty action. "Please," He whispered, leaning his head toward her hand, feeling it against his face.

"I promise..." He choked on the sobs ripping through his throat. "I promise I'll never do anything to hurt you again. I'll work less, do anything just to see you smile. I will do everything, and be everything you could ever need. Just, please, Don't leave me like this."

Audrey was glad for the tube in her throat, preventing her from speaking. For the heaviness in her limbs keeping them still. Part of her wanted to tell Walter that he was a great father, that he had never really hurt her. She wanted him to know that he was smarter then he thought he was and that he would do right by their children. But she knew that those words would be meaningless now. She had finally admitted to herself that despite everything, she was still in love with Brenton. And with that love, she had torn herself to pieces.

The deepest corners of her heart belonged to the man who had killed her. The man who had slaughtered the life she had tried so hard to maintain and broken her children. She hated herself for loving him, for no longer being able to deny it to herself. How could she tell Walter that she loved him without tasting the traces of the lie on her tongue? She did love Walter, but that love was broken. He deserved a better woman, someone who could give her entirety to him without doubt. Admitting it to herself was the hardest part. Listening to his words deepening the wound to her heart.

Audrey knew she was dying, she could feel it. First in her bones, then her flesh and finally, in her heart. It was time to let go of the guilt she'd carried for so long, to be free of the pain that the heavy medications couldn't dull. She was so tired, and everything hurt so much. It took every ounce of strength she had left open her eyes and squeeze his hand, trying in that simple glance to give him the strength to let go. To show him those remnants of love still burning inside her heavy chest.

Walter felt the slight pressure on his hand, soft, shaking fingers wrapping around his own. He blinked away tears as he turned to look at Audrey, her eyes glistening with tears. "Audrey?" He sighed in relief, hoping that she was coming around. She had always been so strong.

Her eyes squinted painfully as she nodded her head, the corners of her lips curling into a broken smile around the tube helping her breath. _Please, let me go._ She silently begged, squeezing his hand one more time before letting her own fall onto the bed. She was in so much pain, emotionally, and physically.

For a brief moment the heart monitor picked up, the loud, quick beeps echoing harshly against the walls of the small room as footsteps pounded against the hallway floor. Walter pushed the chair to the floor as he jumped to his feet, taking her hand back in his as he looked over her frantically. "Not like this Audrey, Not now." He begged, nearly screaming as the heart line went flat. "Dammit Audrey! Please,"

Walter roared furiously as a large armed man grabbed him and began to pull him away from her, trying to give the doctor and nurses room to work. He pulled against the arms forcing him away, his own strength draining with every second that passed, the dull tone of the heart monitor assuring him that she was gone. When he'd finally been dragged into the hallway he jerked himself out of the man's hold, falling to his knees on the hard, linoleum floor. "Please, not you." His tears fell against his shaking fists, running over white knuckles and onto the floor. "Audrey..."

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

**A/N:** This chapter, ended up way longer then I thought it would, and very emotional. This is Walter's chapter, and with each visit, I wanted to show different bits of emotion. Not just the sadness or relief, but his insecurities and strengths with each member of the family. I promise, only one more really emotional chapter, then on to the rest.


	18. C'est Pas Si Loin

Drake watched the walls with uncaring eyes, the sounds of people passing outside his door drifting though his ears into emptiness. The late morning sunlight pushed past the thin curtains of the room, its small waves of warmth doing nothing for his bruised and battered body. He was so far away from all of it, hidden away within himself. Nothing mattered to him anymore, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't force himself to care about anything. He'd heard the commotion last night, listened the gossipy whispers of the nurses who had checked in on him.

_Poor kid, living through all that just to loose his mother. _

_Did you see her? I can't imagine being so burnt up._

The demon had shown him that his mother was gone long before the chattering nurses had stood whispering in the room. He had seen her trapped within those mirror scales. He could still see the torment in her eyes. She had given herself over to the darkness to save him, exchanging her life for his own. But her death hadn't killed the demon. No one was safe, and they were all alone.

Drake wrapped his arms around his legs, resting his chin against his knees. The doctor had allowed the restraints to be removed, as long as he was frequently check on. It had been easy to tell them that he was okay, that he wasn't being plagued by the fiery beast. Lying had always come easy to him, and that morning the beast had remained in its shadows. It didn't want to be bound to this room anymore then he did, and he'd grown so tired of being restrained.

Outside the sun was shining, birds flew and sung their merry tunes. People were going about their days unfazed by the tragedies of the previous day. Sure, it had been on the News and people had shaken their heads at his families misfortune, but outside of that empty action they weren't effected. It hadn't happened to them, and that was all that mattered. Their children weren't without a mother, their fathers weren't wallowing in grief. There were no demon's lurking within their soulless bodies, no shadows waiting to swallow them whole. Days would come and go, as they always did. The world would keep on living as if nothing had changed.

That was the world he was leaving behind, and the only way to allow that change without leaving himself in the throws of insanity was to close himself off to everything. In the end, he'd have to fight the beast, to do what his father had failed to accomplish. The thought let him shaking, his worn eyes quivering in their hollow sockets as formless tears blurred his vision.

"Mom." It was the only word he could manage as he mentally reached for the suns comforting warmth. He knew now why his father had needed her by his side, why her light had been so important. It wasn't just to draw the beast out, she had eased the pain of knowing. She had stood for all of the things he had wanted to protect. But she was gone now, and the demon still raged within his throbbing body.

"I'll save you." Drake made the promise as he crossed his fingers over his chest, sealing the childlike promise. _Cross my heart and hope to die._

~.~

It was early evening when the doctors signed the discharge papers for each of the children. They had checked over them all one more time, bandaging wounds and making sure they were okay to leave. Walter had been talked through the medications Josh and Drake were being prescribed for their afflictions, as well as what to look out for in Drake's questionable mental state. He had a list of recommended councilors to help the children get through the mental affects of what they'd been through, as well as advice on how to break the news of Audrey's passing to them. They hadn't been told that Audrey had died, for fear that it would send them into hysterics.

Walter didn't see how waiting a few hours would spare them the overwhelming grief that he was still suffering, and he didn't want to be the one to tell them. They had already been through so much, to know that they had lost her would leave them as destroyed as he was now. He could still see that look within her eyes, could feel the false hope that had spread through him like a ravaging disease. Every time he closed his eyes he saw her there, smiling warmly as if the past few days had been nothing more then a nightmare.

He'd called Edna about an hour after Audrey had died, too hurt to do it sooner. The elderly woman's initial silence had left him in such a rage that he'd nearly shouted at her. Then he had heard the quiet sobs, the rattling of the phone against her heavy earrings as her hands had begun to shake. He wasn't sure if it had just been the shock of Audrey dying, of loosing her so abruptly that had turned her cold. She had broken from her trance, blaming him as she cursed under her breath to avoid his retaliation. He had hung up on her, angry at her words. Still agrey at himself for not getting there sooner. Edna would be at the house when he returned with the children, and for their sakes, He hoped she kept that hate to herself.

Pacing across the busy lobby, Walter waited for his children to be brought to him. If he had to tell them what had happened, he wanted them to be together. He told himself it was so that they would have each other for comfort, but he knew that he couldn't bare to say it more then once. His eyes fell upon those foreboding doors, watching as Meghan ran out to him, falling into his extended arms. _What would she do without her mother?_ Shortly after Josh was helped through by a pretty, young nurse who was instructing him on how to take care of his broken arm. _When he he needed help with Mindy, who was he going to turn to? Who would give him the affectionate advice that would ease him through his hardships?_ His oldest son walked weakly toward them, his eyes downcast as he was careful not to strain the shallow wounds on his back.

"Dad?" Josh could see the hurt buried underneath the flat relief displayed on Walter's face.

Walter avoided answering Josh's questioning glance as he watched Drake push through the doors with the Doctor. It was clear in the old medic's face that he wasn't entirely convinced of Drake's mental stability, his wise eyes searching for any hint of trouble. Walter could see the emptiness in those once vibrant brown eyes, and he knew that something wasn't right. The Drake walking towards them wasn't the boy who days before had roamed the home they all shared._ Trapped in a darkness that none of them understood, who was going to help him through the shadows? _Audrey had been the only one who had known how to overcome that grief, and she was gone. Far away from everything that had hurt her, from the pain that had killed her.

The Doctor offered a solemn nod of encouragement before turning away from the broken family, needing to attend to a new days patients. He'd done all that he could for them.

Meghan turned her eyes toward the swinging doors, waiting for Audrey to emerge from them like her brothers had, her hopeful smile fading as the seconds wasted away. She felt Walter's hand tighten on her shoulder, pulling her gaze back to him as his eyes filled with resistant tears.

"Where's mom?" She asked, trying to hide her own worry.

Walter shook his head, fighting for the right words to soften the blow of what had happened. Josh's gaze held the same question as his sister's, but Drake's... Walter could see in those distant eyes that Drake knew and it broke his heart to wonder how the boy had found out. He let out a loud sigh, shaking his head as tears filled Meghan's eyes.

"I'm sorry sweetheart." He whispered. "It happened last night." His heart sank in his chest as he felt Meghan pull away from him, her small hands knotting into fists as her eyes narrowed in disbelief.

"You're lying." She growled, her voice fading in the sorrow she was trying to deny.

Walter stared into her eyes, fighting his own tears as her crept over her red cheeks. "It was painless." He lied, hoping that the words made it easier for them. "She isn't hurting anymore, and she'll always be watching over you." He had to stop, to keep his voice from breaking in front of them as Meghan let herself fall back into his arms. Her body shook violently as she tried to fight the cries building within her sore lungs.

Josh stared at his father in disbelief as his heart beat loudly in his ears. With all of her strength and determination, she couldn't be gone. All of the love in her eyes couldn't be lost in darkness after just one night. His hands trembled as his his knuckles shone ghostly white against the flesh, his hurt and guilt churning within his stomach. He shifted his sight from his own feet over to Drake, seeing the quiet tears falling over his brothers still face. He couldn't imagine how Drake was feeling right now, and selfishly, he didn't want to.

With shaking steps Josh approached his brother, flexing his stiff fingers to lay a comforting hand on Drake's shoulder. Drake didn't look at him, nor anyone else as he stood in eerie silence, as if he were someplace miles away. It added to his own guilt laced suffering to see Drake this way, to know that if he had done anything differently, this wouldn't have happened. He couldn't stop himself as he moved his hand from Drake's shoulder, wrapping it around his brother as muttered over and over again that he was sorry.

The ride home was dreadfully silent, each of them trapped within their own reveries of better days. Joyous lives untouched by insanity and the darkness that it brought. Lives that still held a caring mother without a trace of demons or pain. Those days were far behind them now, and no one knew how to deal with the accumulating agony eating away at them.

Edna had her small suitcase packed and resting against the wall by the front door. She wanted to be there for the children, to give them everything she once again found Walter incapable of offering. To loose their mother like they had would weigh heavily on them after everything they had been through. A part of her wanted to stay, but her own pain was too fresh, and the thought of being near the man who had let her daughter go out into the night to die left her too full of anger. The children didn't need to see that.

She was sitting on the couch, her fingers fidgeting with the old locket around her neck when they shuffled into the house, their red eyes downcast. She let the locket fall against her chest as Meghan ran to her, tears spilling from both of their eyes as they held one another. She soothed her hands over Meghan's hair, whispering sweetly that she would never be alone. What else could she say to a little girl who had lost her mother?

Once Meghan had settled down and gone to her room to sleep Edna went to each of the boys, offering words of encouragement and strength as her heart continued to break. No child should loose a mother so young, no mother should bury her own child. Drake's absent emotion had left her cold as she tried to talk to him. The empty sorrow within his sleepless eyes filled her with a sense of dread for the boy's mental state. She could see so much of Audrey within those eyes, tainted with his father's looks.

"Edna," Walter followed his mother-in-law out to her car, wanting her to stay. He couldn't help the children alone. "Please, don't go."

Her fingers wrapped tightly around the handle of her suitcase, her face draining of emotion as she turned sharply and glared at him. "My daughter is dead." She muttered. "I trusted her life to you, and you couldn't save her."

"I did everything I could." Walter bit back, his grief turning to anger. "Be angry with me if it makes you feel better, but don't walk out on those kids."

"I would never," She started, glowering at the man.

"Yes, you would." He sneered. "The same way you walked out on her after we were married. As soon as something doesn't go your way you leave. No one wanted to loose her last night, and if you leave them to try and overcome all of this alone, they won't forgive you. Audrey almost didn't."

Edna shook her head, hating every word that Walter threw at her. "I'll stay until the funeral tomorrow, but after that I'm going home." She growled as she walked back toward the open front door. If those kids resented her for leaving, she would find a way to win them back. Just like she had with Audrey. But she couldn't stand the thought of staying in this house with Walter, of seeing that emptiness within Drake's face. To much a reminder of the daughter she had lost, the perfect resemblance of the man who had killed her.

~.~

The casket was left closed to spare everyone the pain of seeing the hideous burns that had broken Audrey's body. Just a glossy, soft scented wooden box covered in happy photographs to hide the horror that had befallen her. It was the woman in the happy photographs that they were here to remember, though now that smile seemed so far away her existence was more a dream to those who looked upon them.

The room was silent as beautiful words of Audrey's life and sacrifice were showered upon the crowd of mourners. The battle she had fought for the lives of her children who would win the war that had taken her from them. Edna stayed near the back of the room as Walter and the children stood near the casket. People came and went, expressing their condolences and shaking hands with Walter and the children, offering what they could to the grieving family.

The hardest part for Walter was looking over and seeing a photograph sitting atop the closed casket. The image of better days to hide the reality of what had become of the woman he had loved. His hands shook as he forced them to stay at his sides, leaving the casket shut when all he wanted was to see her real face just one more time.

"I miss her so much." Meghan whispered, seeing the way Walter's hands shook.

"I do to." Walter whispered back, trying to offer her a reassuring smile. There was nothing to smile about today.

"I want to bring her back." Meghan muttered under her breath, her hands shaking. "I could have gone in and saved her, but I didn't..."

Gritting his teeth against the fresh onslaught of tears, Walter turned his eyes upon her own. "She wouldn't have wanted you to go back into that house. She did what she felt was right, all we can do now is honor her sacrifice." The words felt wrong as he spoke them, like sour lies. He wished her back as much as their children, would have done anything to stop the choice she had made.

Meghan didn't say anything more as she turned her attention back to the mourners offering what comfort they could. She smiled emptily at them, shaking their hands and accepting hugs as her thoughts drifted to far away days when this pain wasn't real.

It was everything Walter could do to keep himself composed as he watched Meghan and Josh struggle with the grief consuming them. As he watched Drake's empty face shed quiet tears. He would have done anything to spare them the pain they were in.

After everyone finished paying their respects the family left the funeral home to go to the cemetery. The long precision of flagged cars moved in silence, twisting through the nearly empty streets until reaching their destination. They walked quietly through the Cemetery, past the graves of Brenton's previous victims. Audrey would be buried only a few rows away from the other people Brenton had killed, her flowers to them withered but still there.

Walter watched as the casket was lowered into the ground with distorted vision, his eyes trying to fight a winless battle with the tears that wouldn't stop. His heart sang out to Audrey, words of love and comfort as he threw the first handful of soil down upon her photograph, the dust particles scattering into the soft summer breeze.

Someday he would join her in this sacred ground, but until then he promised to keep their children safe. To do everything he could for them. It was all he could do.

Meghan dropped in her handful of dirt alongside her own flowers, her red eyes focused on the slowly disappearing photograph. "I love you." She whispered, closing her mouth against the pleads building within her. She didn't want Audrey to be gone, to live through her life without a mother to help her through. Before all of this she'd considered herself so grown up, but now, she felt like a little kid again. Lost and uncertain in a world that was too big and full of darkness. Her legs began to shake as she walked away from the grave, feeling the distance between herself and her mother grow with every step.

Josh felt the grains slipping between his fingers as he stared down into the hole. Audrey's body was only six feet away, but the distance between the connection they had forged over the years seemed unmeasurable. She had been the only mother he had ever really known, the reason they were still alive. Sprinkling the remaining soil around her portrait, his eyes never left her own. "I'm sorry," He whispered, his tears stinging behind his eyes. "I should have been stronger." Josh wiped the remaining dirt from his hands onto his pants, closing his eyes as he went to join his father and sisters.

It was hard for Drake to approach the grave, knowing that his mother's soul wasn't going to heaven like the preacher had told the mass of mourners. The demon had trapped her in his nightmarish body, and she couldn't be free as long as he lived. To see the box holding her mortal shell, the slowly disappearing image that had been used to try and comfort them, left him emptier then he had felt before. She had died to save him, and he hadn't been worth her life. If he had died, then everyone would be safe. No one would be lost in the overwhelming grief that was tearing them apart.

"I'll save you." He promised as he scattered his handful of soil over the happy photograph, hiding the lie. Audrey wasn't smiling anymore, and she never would again. As he had in the Hospital, Drake crossed his fingers over his heart, leaving a trail of dirt over the black sweater. He took a moment before joining his family, letting his own anxiety spill out into the grave to be buried away. He knew what he had to do to save her from the demon's clutches, and determined as he was he was still afraid of the beast. His eyes traced over the stones he had visited with Audrey, seeing the remnants of the flowers they had brought. _I'll set you all free._ He promised.

~.~

It was with a heavy heart that Edna took her suitcase and said goodbye to the children. She promised them all that if they needed her, they could call and she would do everything she could to help. There were no words for Walter, no offers of comfort. Maybe with time she would be able to look at him without feeling contempt, but that time was very far away. Loosing her daughter had been too hard on her aging heart, and the only thing she could do was blame him.

Walter didn't argue with her as she left, he didn't have the energy this time. He waited until her car pulled out of the driveway to lock the door and walk back to the living room. Meghan and Drake had gone back to their rooms, leaving only himself and Josh downstairs.

"You should get some sleep." Walter mumbled, collapsing into the recliner.

Josh walked around the couch, falling into the soft cushions close to his father. "I can't." He answered simply. His body was exhausted but his mind was still buzzing. "I'm worried, about Drake." He said quietly, looking over to see his father's reaction.

Walter nodded. He had noticed the distance in the boys demeanor as well. His hands reached into his pockets, pulling out the list of councilors he'd been given. He didn't know how to help his step son, and if one of them could it would be worth the money they would demand. "I am too."

"He seems so different." Josh mused, his eyes falling upon the family portrait on the far wall. Drake's careless smile was gone now, replaced by an empty expression so much like his father's it was scary. "But after everything that happened," His voice faded as he tried to push away the memories of the past few days.

Walter turned to face his son, offering a worn smile. "He just needs time, we all do." The life they had known was so far away now, and the life waiting for them was too full of uncertainties. He couldn't help but winder what Audrey would do, what she would say to chase away the dark clouds hanging over them. His sight moved away from his son, over to the portrait where she smiled back at him. Those loving eyes that he would never see again.

Walter didn't want to acknowledge the darkness rising within his thoughts as he looked longingly at her. He refused to admit to himself that she was gone because of an imaginary evil within Drake. If she hadn't tried to save him then she would be... Walter shook his head, hating himself for even thinking those dark thoughts.

"Get some sleep son." He muttered as he pushed himself out of the old recliner and towards his empty bedroom. He wanted to be alone, so that he could finally stop being strong for everyone else.

Josh waited until his father disappeared down the dark hallway to move himself towards his room. The closer he got to his bedroom door the heavier his body felt, weighed down by guilt and grief. He pushed open the door, instantly finding Drake on his own bed, eyes gazing out the small window as if searching for something. Drake didn't seem to notice him entering the room, and Josh let all of the words he wanted to say fall back into himself as he climbed into his own bed and pulled the blankets over his head. He could harbor his feelings one more night, giving time a chance to try and fix the things that weren't right anymore.

Josh closed his eyes, falling into sleep as his ears strained to find any sign of life in his brother.

Drake had heard the door open and close again, but he couldn't tear his eyes away from the transparent reflection in the window. Buried deep within his eyes were the burning eyes of a creature that refused to let him be. Deep within those flaming irises he could see the tormented souls of the people he had promised to save, drowning in the malicious intent of their holder.

Those eyes, so like his own stared through his body, into his thoughts as the demon's laughter echoed against the walls of his mind. _You can't save them on your own boy._ It taunted. _You don't have it in you._

Drake didn't respond, afraid that Josh would hear him. If he wanted to remain home, to be able protect them, then they couldn't think that he was crazy. He knew that he wasn't crazy, he could see the beast, had felt its cruel tough upon his skin. Without thinking Drake reached into his shirt, his fingers tracing over the mess of cuts until he found the one the demon had made. The old scar that it had reopened as that house burnt around him.

It was real, and when the time came he would prove it to everyone. And then, he would kill it and set his mother free. Until then all he could do was close himself off, keeping the evil within his body far away from the people he wanted to protect.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

**A/N:** I know this chapter is kinda short, and it took a while to write, but I hope that you all enjoyed it. The Original version is definitely better, but this one came out pretty well. At least I think it did. Just a few more chapters to go, and one heck of an ending planned. I'm hoping to get the next chapter up faster then this one, but I make no promises.

~ The title for this chapter means "It's not so far" which refers to the character's past lives, and the determination and goals Drake has. It fit to me anyway...


	19. Guilt

The story was all over the News that morning. Shaky images of what remained of the house Brenton had occupied, nothing left but a chard outline against the summer afternoon. Ashes blowing away on the warm breezes of a new day. Pulled from the basement were the bodies of the mother and son who had disappeared a few days ago, their bodies bashed until they were nearly unrecognizable. The woman who had owned the house had been found around the back, throat cut and body burned. The police had traced the van Brenton had been using to a boy found dead in an ally just after his escape from the institution. Bringing the death count to fourteen, including Audrey, the mother who had died to save her children, and Brenton himself.

Fourteen lives lost to insanity. Walter turned the television off as his body fell against the couch, his hands wrapped tightly around the beer in his hands. He couldn't remember the last time he had drank, but judging by the stale taste of the beer, it had been a while. The coverage of what had happened had been playing on nearly every channel all morning, the names and faces of all the people Brenton had killed shone on a loop as the reporters shared his story of madness and pain. They had left out the names of the children, and for that Walter was thankful. Plenty of people close to them would recognize Audrey's photograph, and the ache of reliving those memories to them would be hard enough without strangers prying into their suffering.

It had taken most of the morning, but Walter had finally convinced Drake to go with him to see one of the councilors on the list the Doctor had given him. He knew that Drake didn't want to go, but his withdrawn behavior left Walter almost afraid of the boy. If Drake had inherited his father's insanity, then it was best to try and get it under control before the boy became violent. Fourteen people dead...

Walter pushed away the thoughts clouding his mind as he stood and took the beer into the kitchen, dumping the remaining content into the sink. He knew that he wasn't going to drink it. Drake would be down any minute for their trip to the councilor's office, and he wanted to be ready to get it over with. He wanted the Councilor to tell him that Drake was just grieving, that there was nothing else to it. He hoped that was the case.

~.~

Drake threw on the old clothes from the pile in the corner of his room, not really caring whether or not they were clean. He didn't want to go and see the doctor, but he knew that arguing with Walter would only add to his step father's suspicion. If he wanted to seem normal, then he needed to go. He could lie his way through the session and everyone would be content.

"I'm not crazy." Drake told himself, avoiding his reflection as he combed his hair and headed down the stairs. Just the other day he'd been trying to convince his father that he was crazy. If he'd only know then that the monster was real this could all be over and Audrey would be alive. If he would have accepted his father's convictions then the demon, and all those suffering in its grasp would be gone.

"Are you ready?" Walter asked as he held the car keys tightly in his hand, feeling them imprint against his skin.

"Sure." Drake muttered as he moved past Walter, out toward the car. He just wanted to get this over with.

The drive passed without words, neither of them having anything to say to the other. Walter didn't know how to express his fear for Drake to the boy himself, afraid of offending him. Drake just wanted to be alone, to avoid judgment and reticule. Over and over again he told himself that he wasn't crazy, that he'd be able to fool this counselor and go back home.

Everett James was a well aged man, strongly built even in his growing years. Graying blonde hair rested lightly over his balding head, leaving his piercing blue eyes exposed. His glasses sat at the end of his long nose as he shook hands with Walter, smiling warmly at father and son as he welcomed them into his office. Shelves covered in books stood against the wooden walls next to certificates and awards for his work. Neatly stacked files and papers sat beside family photographs on the oak desk in front of the wide window.

"Good afternoon." He greeted warmly. "My name is Everette James, and you must be Drake." He turned toward Drake, holding out his hand.

Drake didn't return the handshake, his own hands hidden safely in his pockets. He did his best to avoid Everett's eyes, all ready knowing that the wisdom within them could see through him if he let his guard down.

Everett didn't let Drake's distance bother him as he turned back to Walter. "I'd like to speak to Drake alone, it often helps children to speak without their parents in the room."

Walter nodded, part of him wanting to stay and make sure Drake was all right, the rest of him afraid of knowing that he wasn't. "I'll be right outside." He told Drake before leaving the two alone.

As soon as the door was closed Everett turned back to Drake, still smiling. "Have a seat Drake." He gestured to the leather chair in the middle of the room. He waited until Drake was seated to take the chair across from him, folding his wrinkled hands over his lap. "What would you like to talk about?" he began lightly, not wanting to overwhelm the boy with invasive questions.

Drake shrugged his shoulders, his eyes falling to his own hands fidgeting in his lap. "Nothing really." he finally answered, glancing up at the clock on the wall.

Everett followed Drake's eyes. "It'll be a long hour if you don't talk." He replied softly.

Drake said nothing as he again turned his focus on his own hands, his eyes catching the bruises on his wrists partially hidden beneath his sleeve.

"You must have been very frightened." Everett mused lightly as he watched Drake.

Drake nodded, his eyes never moving. "Everyone was. Even my dad."

Everett leaned forward, the welcoming look on his face never fading. "Are you still afraid?"

Drake's body tensed briefly before he pushed his memories of the demon away, forcing himself to look collected as he turned his eyes up. "There's nothing to be afraid of." He lied.

"It's alright to be afraid Drake, even if you're afraid of something that isn't there." Everette said, trying to comfort the boy. He could see the conflicting emotions dancing behind his eyes. "Your father strongly believed in the visions he had, and his belief would have made them all the more terrifying for you and your siblings."

"My father was crazy." Drake muttered, his words empty of belief.

"He was mentally unstable, a trait that could have been passed to you. Are you afraid that you'll be like him?" Everette asked, leaning forward.

Drake wrapped his hands over his chest, staring into Everette's searching eyes. "I am not my father."

"No, you're not." Everette backed away again. Drake was avoiding as many answers as he could. "But what happened to you could have triggered the psychosis you might have inherited. What happened must have been hard for you, and dealing with it now might seem overwhelming."

"I'm fine." Drake snapped. "And I'm not crazy."

Everett nodded, trying to calm the boy down by agreeing with him. "Of course your not." He smiled again. "I know you've only been home two days, but have you had any trouble there?"

Leaning back into the chair, Drake shook his head. "Not really."

"Are you having nightmares?"

Drake closed his eyes, and like he did every time he did so, he saw the demon looking back at him. Its teeth fully exposed in its twisted grin. "No nightmares." he lied. "It's just been hard, accepting that mom is gone." he didn't want to talk about Audrey either, but he wanted to steer the conversation away from his father and the demon.

"Loosing a parent is very hard." Everette replied. "Do you blame yourself for her death?" He'd read the report and seen the News broadcast.

Drake's eyes shot up, glaring at the man sitting across from him. "She died to save me. She told my dad that the demon was inside of her, but it's not!" Drake bit his lower lip, wanting to take back the hasty words.

Everette sighed, his warm eyes turning sad as he watched Drake press himself into the leather chair, as if he were trying to disappear into it. "Do you believe that your father's monster is inside of you?" He asked, hoping the boy would reply honestly.

"No." Drake responded quickly, looking down at his shaking hands. He wanted this to be over. "It's not real." The demon's laughter echoed against his ears. _Yes I am_. Drake shook his head, silently begging it to be quiet.

Everette watched the boy for long moments, seeing him become more withdrawn into himself and less aware of what was happening outside of his mind. His hands were shaking, his eyes lost in some sight that only he could see. Everette shook his head, sighing loudly as he pulled his glasses off and cleaned them on his sweater vest.

"Are you familiar with Post traumatic stress disorder Drake?" He asked softly. He waited for a reply that never came. "Drake?" He asked, drawing the boy out of his own thoughts.

"What?" Drake asked, not fully paying attention to the councilor.

"People experience all kinds of symptoms after an ordeal like the one you've been through. They have flashbacks or nightmares, or in your case, might see whatever their assailant believed to be real. They may become scared or angry and blame themselves for what happened. They might even have the urge to hurt themselves or others. Have you been experiencing any of theses?" He asked, leaning forward and watching Drake very carefully.

"No." Drake whispered the lie, refusing to meet Everette's gaze. _I'm not crazy, _He told himself._ Its real. _

Everette James pushed himself to his feet, knowing that he wasn't going to get anything else from the boy. Drake was a very good liar, and had he not been watching for the lies, he knew that he would have missed them. Retaining his polite demeanor, he extended his hand to Drake, shaking it before leading the boy to the door. Once Drake was back in the lobby Everette called Walter back into the office.

"Well?" Walter asked, trying not to let his anxiety show.

Everette sighed, his old fingers running through his neat hair. "Your son is an excellent liar." He started, trying to collect his thoughts. "Given his family history for mental afflictions, and the trauma of what he;s been through, I'm surprised he held out so well."

"What are you saying?" Walter felt his fingers trembling. Deep in his gut, he knew what was coming.

"I believe that Drake may be suffering from Post traumatic stress disorder, and that the ordeal with his father may have triggered the psychosis that was laying dormant within him. He's withdrawn, and was careful to try and avoid all of my questions about what happened. He's locked in a mental battle with himself, you can see it in his expressions."

Walter dropped his gaze, trying to process everything Everette was telling him. It sounded much worse then he was willing to believe. "What do you suggest we do?" He asked through gritted teeth.

"Given his violent actions toward himself on the way to the hospital, and the history of mental illness in his family, I'd recommend having him committed to the psych ward for at least seventy-two hours for observation." Everette replied honestly. "I believe that he may be a danger to himself, and possibly the rest of your children until he can be properly diagnosed."

Walter's reserve snapped. He'd been afraid of this, and he refused to lock Drake away until they were sure. "I'm not going to send him off and lock him up. It could just be stress, after what happened, after Audrey died... Isn't it normal for him to be withdrawn?" He demanded.

"It is, but him trying to rip himself open in that ambulance is not. I would not recommend commitment unless I was sure, and it wouldn't be permanent. If there is going to be any hope of real help for him, then he needs to be somewhere where he can be monitored, and unable to hurt himself or anyone else." Everette breathed heavily, understanding Walter's reluctance to his proposition. No parent wanted to lock their child away. "Your son is afraid of something that he doesn't want to talk about, and he needs help before that fear transfers into violence."

"I need to think about it." He couldn't just send Drake away, not when all of the children were still so hurt by what had happened. To separate all of them now, what would that do to them? He wouldn't deny that the changes in Drake's demeanor had him afraid, but he wanted to believe that the boy was simply grieving.

Everette nodded, his reassuring smile hiding his disappointment in the man's choice. He couldn't expect a father to see his child the way he did, but he hoped that Walter would let him take Drake and have him looked at. Not only for the boy's sake, but for the sakes of the rest of his children as well. "If you change your mind, call me and I will get everything set up." He offered.

"Thank you, for everything." Walter muttered as he stepped back toward the office door, hesitantly turning back toward the man. "Is, is it normal to blame someone else for things out of their control?" He mumbled, afraid of his own question. "To wish it had been them instead of," Walter lost his voice, still trying to chase away the dark thoughts that had plagued his mind and sleep.

Everette's smile faded to a soft frown as he placed a comforting hand on Walter's shoulder. "Some thoughts surface no matter how untrue they are to one's self. Remorse and guilt conflicting against one another. They'll pass with time, all you can do is keep them from affecting your actions towards your son."

Walter nodded, all of his words lost as he went back into the lobby to write the check for the visit. He didn't say anything to the attractive young secretary, nor to Drake as they went back to the car. There weren't words to mach his feelings. His own dark thoughts, as well as the words Everett had spoken were pulling at his mind, constantly fighting for his attention. He knew that what had happened hadn't been Drake's fault, but every time he looked at him he saw Audrey in his eyes, and Brenton everywhere else. More then anything, he wanted Audrey back, no matter what the price to have her was.

Soft classical music poured from the speakers, attempting to mask the silence as they drove home. Drake tapped his fingers against his knee, loosing his thoughts as the beats pressed against his mind, chasing the darkness back into its corners. In music, he found the only semblance of peace to the chaos his mind was in. There was no need to think about Walter, or the councilor and what they must have talked about. No need to remember what had happened with his father in that house, or the demon raging within himself. Just the sweet abyss of nothing carried on beautiful noise.

~.~

Josh sat on the old couch, feeling the worn fabric press against his skin as he played the old video game without interest. He'd lost track of how many times his character had fallen into its death, the colors on the screen fading as the ominous tune played. He glanced down at the second controller, instantly wishing Drake were home to play the game with him. Wishing more then anything that things could just be they way they used to be.

When he heard the front door open he felt his own controller fall to the floor, clattering softly alongside the sounds of footsteps. He'd told himself that he was going to talk to Drake today, and he could already feel his stomach turning in anticipation. Would Drake forgive him, or would he blame him?

Josh turned his head toward the door as Drake stepped inside of their room. "Wanna play?" Josh asked as he reached down to pick his controller back up.

Drake shrugged his shoulders, saying nothing as he walked across the room and fell into his side of the couch. Before he picked up the second controller he reached for the remote, turning up the volume so that the background music was all he could hear.

They played through the first few levels in near complete silence. Soft grunts replaced the usual taunts and laughter that they were so accustomed to. Once they hit the title screen for the forth level Josh glanced over at Drake, seeing the distance in his brother's empty eyes.

"How'd it go?" His voice came out almost too soft to hear. Seeing the way Drake flinched at the question made Josh instantly regret asking.

"It went fine." Drake muttered. "I'm fine."

Josh sighed, putting his controller down and turning towards Drake. "Are you?" He asked, determined to break through to Drake.

"Why does everyone think there's something wrong with me?" Drake demanded, squeezing his own controller as his hands shook. "I'm not my father."

"I'm sorry," Josh pushed himself away from his brother, shocked by the sudden outburst. That angry expression, so much like Brenton's sent a chill down Josh's back. "I know that you aren't like _him_, I'm just worried about you."

"Everyone says they're worried about me." The controller slipped from his hands as Drake pushed himself to his feet. "You're all acting like you're afraid of me." Drake turned away from Josh, shaking his head.

"I'm not afraid of you." Careful of his broken arm, Josh hoisted himself up and stepped toward Drake.

"You should be." Drake muttered under his breath.

"Those things your dad said about you, they weren't true. You aren't evil Drake." Josh raised his good arm and placed a reassuring hand on Drake's shoulder. "The things that happened, none of it was your fault."

"How can you know?" Drake demanded, his eyes fully focused on his brothers.

"Because," Josh bit his lip, his chest aching. "Because it was my fault." Saying the words out loud left him shaking. "I promised that I wouldn't let him hurt you, but it was because of me that you went with him. I should have let him kill me, then none of this would have happened." Josh clenched his fists, feeling his broken arm throb against the cast. "If I hadn't let this happen, mom would still be alive and you would be okay."

"Even if you had died, he still would have come after me." Drake pulled away from his brother, unable to handle the guilt in Josh's words. "He was determined to do anything he could to kill the demon. Without you, Meghan would have died, and so would I." He couldn't tell Josh that he wished he had died. Josh would never understand, he couldn't see him for what he truly was. Just a shell of a boy housing the very thing that wanted to kill them all.

"I promised that I'd keep you safe," Josh said again, tears building in his eyes. "I promised mom that I'd get her out of there, but I couldn't do that either. I failed both of you, everyone."

Drake shook his head, the tears falling in crooked streaks over his cheeks. "Stop blaming yourself. I don't blame you, and mom wouldn't either." Drake closed his eyes, willing the tears away so that he could look stronger for Josh. "You saved us, and mom would be proud."

"I miss her," Josh's voice was a somber whisper. "I wanted to save her."

"Me too." Drake replied simply. He could still see the despair and torment in her eyes. He had to save her, soon. If he could set her soul free, then perhaps some of Josh's guilt would disappear. Maybe, Walter wouldn't have that glint of loathing buried deep in his eyes when he looked at him. Drake looked up at Josh, forcing a smile. "It's going to be okay, the pain will be over soon."

Josh nodded, not understanding Drake's words. Something in the way he said them left Josh more worried for his brother then he had been before, and he was determined to do something to help him. First, he would have to talk to his dad. The councilor would have seen whatever it was Drake was hiding, and he would have told Walter. If he could know that much, then he was sure that he would be able to help Drake. If he could save his brother from this darkness, then maybe some of his own guilt would fade away.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

**A/N:** All righty faithful readers, we are nearing the end, there are two, maybe three chapters left now. Can anyone guess how its going to end?


	20. Remember Everything

The demon was growing stronger.

Once again Drake found himself trapped within its world of cutting shadows, his skin breaking as unbearably hot blood fell from the wounds. In the overwhelming darkness he couldn't help but walk toward the firelight, its heat dull to him now as he accepted this hell as a part of himself. The demon had taken over him, there were one being now.

Off to the side of the Demon Drake could see the rubescent, phantom image of his father, bound in chains as the Firelings tore at his dead skin. Even suffering, Brenton didn't let the hate fade from his eyes. He flinched as the flesh was melted away from his body, but his silent accusation never wavered. Despite all of the things Brenton had done, the people he had killed, Drake hated to see him suffer like this. After all, he'd only been trying to protect them.

Drake turned his attention to the Demon, watching as it lounged casually in its bed of flames. It had been licking the ash and blood from its claws, but upon noticing Drake had stopped, the grotesque grin spreading over its jaws as it gestured to the tormented souls trapped beneath it.

_Do you like them?_ It laughed. _There is nothing more comfortable then suffering humans. _The demon relaxed its massive body, putting more pressure on the wailing souls.

Drake shook his head, forcing his repulsion away. "I'm going to save them." Swallowing his fear, he stepped closer to the beast, the look in his eyes dangerously calm.

The Demon laughed, licking its black lips as it threw its head back._ You can't even save yourself. In the end you'll do exactly as I want, you'll set the world on fire and the bodies will continue to pile up._ Its eyes narrowed as it began tapping its claws against the darkness. _We can start with whats left of your family. _

"No!" Drake shouted, his anger rising as the heat intensified. "You can't have them!"

The Demon's tail unfurled, flopping with a loud thud against the shadowed floor. It extended its claws, counting each as it brought them back against its palms. _Mother, fathers, sisters and brother. One to sharpen each of my claws upon for the rest of eternity._ It mused darkly.

Drake screamed as he charged forward, not knowing what he was going to do, but determined to hurt the beast in any way that he could. The creature chuckled, its voice shaking the walls of Drake's mental prison as is swiped its tail across the ground. Drake tripped over the reptilian tail, falling face first into the shadows that converged over him like hungry dogs. He grunted, trying desperately to pull free from the darkness as the beast's fiery eyes settled on him, the amusement gone from their burning depths.

_How magnificent their deaths will look from your eyes._ The taunting chuckle coursed through Drake's body with every beat of his racing heart. _You are mine to control._ It whispered with mocking sweetness. _I am you as you are me. _

"I wont let you hurt them." Drake declared, all of his courage riding out on the words as they cut through the darkness. "I'm going to destroy you."

_I can not simply be destroyed._ The demon growled as its tail tightened around Drake's body, choking the air from his lungs. With a flick of its wrist the demon summoned the shadows closer, tired of seeing the boy and listening to his hopeless threats.

Pulling against the shadows that were slowly enveloping his body, Drake grinned calmly. "Yes you can." He muttered as the shadows closed over him. He knew how to destroy the beast, and he was willing to do whatever he had to.

~.~

Drake awoke in a cold sweat gasping for breath. The air that should have relived the deprivation in his lungs tasted foul, hints of sulfur choking him as his lungs burnt. Despite the calm he had left the dream in, he was shaking. Every time he saw the beast it became all the more real, its voice harsher and its breath more decayed. If he didn't stop it soon, he knew that it would be too strong for him to defeat.

Not wanting to go back to sleep, Drake pulled his knees against his chest and leaned on them. His eyes looked over the dark bruises on his wrists as his fingers twitched, trying to go back to the gash on his chest. Twice in his life that same spot had been cut open, his heart beating just below. First his father had tried to kill him, and then the demon had proven itself real. It would heal, a scar upon a scar, but he would never be the same.

The stench of distant fire filled Drake's nostrils as he looked around the room. His father had said that the demon's essence was inside of the house, and Drake believed him. He could smell the smoldering wood and decay with every breath he took. This house, like him, was tainted by evil, and all of it needed to be cleansed away. Once it was gone, the others would be safe. The lost would be free.

_~. Oh, dear mother, I love you  
I'm sorry, I wasn't good enough .~_

Sleepless eyes focused on the photograph of his mother hidden underneath his pillow, shaking hands pulling it out and holding it against his chest. More then anything he wanted her words right now, the wisdom hidden deep within those earthly brown eyes. For almost his entire life she had battled with the after effects of that first night of fire and madness, thriving despite its hold on her. She had beaten the demon, and Drake wanted to know how she had done it.

He knew what he had to do, and as ready as he told himself he was, he was still afraid. If there was another way, only she could show it to him. Her strength and perseverance hadn't been passed down to him, and without her he didn't know how to attain them. "I'm sorry," He whispered, the photograph slipping from his fingers. He watched the picture fall to the floor, into darkness out of his sight. _It's my fault that you're gone. _

Drake didn't remember much after getting out of the house, but he knew that Audrey had given the last of her strength to him. He knew that he had wanted to die in the ambulance, and she had stopped him. In that time of chaos and desperation she had tried to show him that there was another way. She had given everything to save him from the darkness within himself.

"If I were stronger, then you would still be here." He muttered to the fallen photograph. No one else would say it aloud, but he knew that they blamed his as well. If it hadn't been for him, if he would have just accepted his father's words, then Audrey would be alive and they would all be safe. He had failed them all, especially her. "I love you mom..." Drake shuddered against the sudden cold in the room, rubbing his arms in an attempt to chase off the cold.

_~. Dear father, forgive me  
'Cause in your eyes, I just never added up  
In my heart I know I failed you, but you left me here alone .~_

Drake's thoughts drifted to memories of his father years ago. A smiling, happy man full of love. Before Brenton had become the monster, he had been a father. Drake didn't blame the world for not remembering that side of his father, not after the things he had done. But he couldn't just look at the bad things that Brenton had done. Before the demon had come, his father had been just like anyone else. They'd played together, laughing and pointing at each other when something was dirty or broken. Drake couldn't help but smile as he remembered those days, so far away that they were more fantasy then distant reality.

The smile faded as the reality sank back into his thoughts. He could still feel the first fear of his father, the night he'd woken up to Brenton's hands wrapped around his throat. After that night his father had never been the same. The disgust in his eyes and intent within his hands had been clear, even then. He'd never been the son his father had wanted, just a monster that needed to be destroyed. Because of him, his father had been sent away.

Seeing his father trapped within the demon's world, tormented by the thing that had plagued him for the last seven years had been hard. Knowing that Brenton had never forgiven him for what he had become left him empty. He wanted to be mad at Brenton for being sent away, for not destroying the evil that had taken so much from everybody. But in the end, all of it had been his own fault.

Drake collapsed back onto his bed, curling up against the guilt and pain. He wished that he could forget the last seventeen years. Every memory, joyous or devastating. If he could forget, then maybe he could go on living. Maybe the demon would fade away and everything would be all right.

~.~

The afternoon sunlight streamed through the windows, its subtle warmth dancing across Drake's skin as it urged him to wake from his empty sleep. His eyelids fluttered against the light as he rolled onto his side and pulled the blankets up until his sight adjusted to the brightness surrounding him. In those gently wavering streams of light he could see the bits of dust floating aimlessly about, their brief dance dying every time they drifted out from their spotlight.

That was life, Drake supposed as he pushed himself up. Brief, vibrant dances in the light before the darkness swallowed you whole. Almost as soon as you received life, something sinister waited to take it all away, and before you knew it, the memory of what you were was gone. No one remembered you for the good you'd shone, just the debris you'd leave behind.

As his feet hit the floor fresh flurries of dust rose, new dances within brief bursts of life. He watched with solemn eyes as those beautiful weavings fell to darkness, as the demon in his mind chuckled. _Ashes ashes, they all fall down._ Drake watched as its phantom claw swiped at the floor, stirring the particles before grasping them, cutting too short their already short lives. Once it released them, they were nothing more then dust. An unsightly collection to be swept away and forgotten. Just like me... Drake thought as he moved out of his room, away from the grinning beast and the death that stood in its presence.

Quiet as a ghost, Drake moved through the upstairs hallway. He could hear voices in the kitchen muttering softly, talking about him. Drake crept down the stairs, listening as Josh and Walter talked, unaware the he was listening.

"Well, what did the councilor say?" Josh asked again, frustrated with his father's avoidance to his questions.

"It's between Drake and Dr. James." Walter repeated himself as he poured another cup of coffee. "Your brothers having a hard enough time with everything that's happened. If he wanted to talk to you about it, he would." He didn't want to tell Josh what the doctor had recommended, he hadn't even been able to tell Drake.

"I'm really worried about him." Josh pressed. "He was muttering in his sleep last night. He's having nightmares dad, and I think they're really getting to him." He'd been woken up by Drake's sleep talking, had listened to every word until his brother had woken up gasping for air. It was everything he could do to keep pretending he was asleep while Drake whispered to the photograph of their mother.

Walter sighed heavily, his eyes flickering from his son back to the steaming cup within his hands. "The doctor was worried about him too." Walter could still see that look in Everett's eyes. "He said that Drake is an excellent liar, but that's nothing we didn't all ready know. Drake's always been good at hiding things he doesn't want to share." Just like Audrey had been when she really needed to.

"What did he say?" Josh asked again, his gaze determined as his father tried to look away.

Walter fell into the wooden chair at the table, his fingers running over the hot surface of the cup. The temporary burn leaving the skin raw as his heart sank into his chest. "He thinks Drake might have Post traumatic stress, and that he may have the same mental illness his dad had." Walter's fingers closed over the cup, letting the burn distract him from the anger rising within himself. "He wanted to have Drake institutionalized, for the good of the family." Walter sneered, hating the thought of loosing anyone else to Brenton.

Josh didn't know what to say as he pulled out another chair and sat with his father. He knew that Drake was at risk of being crazy, like his dad, but he refused to believe that it was really possible. Drake was too suborn to just fall into that madness without a fight. _But he was fighting..._ Josh had seen the conflicting emotions on his brother's face, and after hearing the one sided argument in Drake's sleep, he couldn't help but wonder. "Are you going to do it?" Josh asked quietly.

_~. If I could hold back the rain, would you numb the pain?  
'Cause I remember everything.  
If I could help you forget, would you take my regrets?  
'Cause I remember everything. .~_

Drake felt the railing of the stairway pressing into his back, agitating the light bruising as he strained to hear his father's reply. He had fooled himself into believing that Everett hadn't seen through him. It hurt to think that Josh, of all people might believe he was crazy. He would have expected it of Walter, of his sister who was so young, but Josh? Drake slipped down the railing, hitting the step hard as he leaned forward to hear what Walter would say.

Walter shook his head, his eyes watching the steam rise from the coffee until it disappeared into the air. So much like the smoke that had risen from that burning house. " I don't know." He replied honestly. It would be too easy to send Drake away in hopes of getting him help, to avoid looking at him and seeing his father. "If he really needs help, then I'll have to. I don't want him to to become his father." Walter uttered the words without feeling. He wasn't sure if he wanted to send Drake away to help him, or to save himself from his own grief.

Drake cringed as he listened to Walter's words. His voice was so cold, almost like it was coming from someone else. He could hear it in Walter's tone, the urge to send him away and forget about him. And Drake couldn't find it within himself to be angry at his step father. He'd taken the stability and joy out of Walter's life.

He didn't want to be sent away like his father had been, to have his life seen only as a disturbance. He would do anything to chase the darkness away from their lives, even if it were only to help himself feel better about being alive. But as long as he was here, they would remember what he had done to them. If he could take himself away, if he could let them forget about the evil that he had brought into their lives, then maybe they could forgive him.

Swallowing his own hurt, Drake pushed himself off of the stairs and made his way noisily into the kitchen. He hated how silent they became when they saw him, the sudden change of expressions on their grim faces. There was still so much guilt in Josh's eyes, but in Walter's, underneath that grief was the hint of resentment that left Drake speechless.

"Morning." He muttered as he walked past them, grabbing an apple from the fridge as if he hadn't heard anything. If they had known he'd heard them talking, would they try to cover their words? Would they deny their fear of him and try to convince him that he was okay?

"How'd you sleep?" Walter asked, his voice strained as he watched Drake move through the kitchen. Again, that emptiness in his eyes, the withdrawn behavior that had lead Everette to worry for them. He didn't want to believe that Drake was capable of his father's violence, but he was afraid of how distant the boy was becoming.

"Fine." Drake moved past them, wanting to go anywhere he could be alone. He was afraid of leaving the house, so sure that the demon's essence would infect them all if he wasn't there to distract it. _They don't want you here._ The demon snickered. Drake's fingers tightened over the apple, pushing its fragile skin into itself as he tried not to argue with it in front of them. _They think you're crazy, just like your dad. They're going to send you away._ He could feel the demon's claw pressing against the scar on his chest, as if it were trying to rip itself free from him.

"No they won't." Drake hissed, the apple falling from his hands as he realized he had spoken out loud. He looked up to the concerned faces of his father and brother, shame covering his own. All the while the demon giggled, the sickening sound making him nauseous.

"Are you okay?" Josh asked, watching as Drake turned away from them to pick the fallen fruit from the ground. Seeing that hurt in his brother's face left him afraid that Drake had heard them.

Drake didn't want to answer the question, knowing that neither of them thought that he was okay. "Just tired." He mumbled as he retrieved the apple and headed back toward the stairs. Back in his room, he wouldn't have to hear their words about him. He could pretend that they weren't talking about him anymore. Once he was gone, they wouldn't need to live in fear of what he might become, and there would be no monster waiting to burn them away.

~.~

Josh hated leaving when everything was such a mess, but Mindy had been calling non stop since the funeral. She had been so afraid when he had disappeared, and though she had gone to the viewing for Audrey, it hadn't been the right time to talk to Josh about what had happened. He loved her understanding, and he knew that if he wanted to keep her, he would have to see her. And he couldn't deny that he wanted to see her, to hold her and just feel like something in his life was normal again.

The local coffee shop was only twenty minutes away, and every minute he drove the more at ease he felt. Home was full of memories and emotions that hurt too much to deal with. The moment he saw her tears built behind his blue eyes, the instant she was in his arms they fell. He'd planned on being so much stronger for her, but he couldn't hold his own pain in any longer. Without words they agreed to talk outside, freeing themselves of the curious eyes of the other customers. Josh opened the door to the backseat, waiting for Mindy to get in before entering the car himself.

"Josh," She reached out, her gentle fingers tracing the trails of the tears that had stopped flowing. Her eyes fell upon the cast on his arm, her heart aching at the pain she knew he was in.

Josh shook his head, taking her hand into his and kissing it. "I missed you so much." He could feel his hands shaking. "I'm so sorry for making you worry." Truly, he was sorry for not having called her to let her know that he was okay. In the chaos that had enveloped them after being rescued, he'd nearly forgotten about her.

Mindy shook her head, her sandy brown hair falling from the loose bun she had thrown it in. "It's okay. There was so much going on, I'm sorry about your mom." She murmured. She had been so fond of Audrey, and knowing that she had sacrificed herself to save Josh and the others had broken her heart. She couldn't imagine the strength that had taken.

"She did what she had too." The words were forced as he tried to keep himself composed.

"I have to tell you something," Mindy bit her lower lip, looking up at Josh with shaking eyes. "I, I know this might not be the right time, I've rehearsed it over and over again trying to make the words seem right." She rambled on, her hands squeezing his as she struggled with her confession.

"Is everything okay?" Josh's heart beat against his chest as the worry set in. Mindy was never unsure of anything.

She closed her eyes, small tears falling over her cheeks as the smile fought itself. "I'm pregnant." She whispered, turning her eyes towards his, searching for his reaction.

For the first few seconds all he could do was stare at her, his mind racing as his pulse beat loudly in his ears. It made sense now, how essential them getting a place of their own had been to her. Everything that had seemed different between the two. Josh's lips twitch into a quiet smile as he pulled her into his arms, feeling the relief relax her body.

"I didn't know how to tell you, after what happened." She cried into his shoulder, her arms wrapping tightly around him. "I wanted to wait until we got an apartment-"

"Its okay." He assured her as he pulled back, his hands running through her sandy blonde hair. "How long have you known?"

Mindy shrugged her shoulders. "About three weeks. I haven't told anyone yet."

"Your parents are going to kill me." Josh grinned, loving her smile. It felt like years had passed since he;d been able to fall into her happiness and just relax.

"Probably," She laughed, wrapping her arms around him again. "I love you."

"I love you too. No matter what it takes, I'm going to do this right." He promised.

"If there's one person I know won't fail me, its you." She confessed, pressing her lips against his. For as much as she harassed him, she loved him. She knew that he would be a great father.

~.~

Drake was sitting on the floor in front of the television when Josh came home, his brother's smile softening the pain he'd been in since overhearing his talk with their father. "You look happy." He tried to force a smile. He wanted Josh to be happy.

Josh walked across the room, his steps light as words compiled themselves on his tongue. He dropped to his knees beside Drake, seeing the hurt in his brother''s eyes. Maybe Mindy's news would cheer him up? He wanted Drake to be the first person he told. "I have something to tell you." He could barley contain his own excitement.

"Did you get a promotion?" Drake joked dryly.

"Better." Josh braced himself. "Mindy is pregnant, I'm going to be a dad!" Saying it out loud was such a rush.

Drake smiled softly. "Congratulations." He murmured. He was happy for his brother, but happiness felt so foreign to him now.

_~. Oh, dear brother, just don't hate me  
For never standing by you or being by your side .~_

Josh's smile faded as he looked at Drake. "Drake, did you hear me and dad earlier?"

"What are you talking about?" If he pretended that he hadn't heard, then he didn't have to think about what they'd been talking about.

"Nothing," Josh shook his head, sitting down next to Drake. "Why are you sitting on the floor?"

"It's cold." Drake replied. His body felt like it was burning, and the cool floor had felt good for a while. "I'm not feeling too good."

Reaching over, Josh pressed his wrist against Drake's forehead. He was burning up. "You might be sick..."

_Everyone thinks I'm sick._ Drake thought harshly. He knew that is was the monster inside of him trying to break free. There wasn't much time left, his body was getting weaker, and they were going to send him away. "Just a summer cold or something."

"Drake?" Josh asked softly. Drake had said that he didn't blame him, but his distance had left Josh feeling like it was another lie. "Do, do you hate me?"

Drake turned toward Josh, confusion in his eyes as he fiddled with the buttons on his shirt. "Why would I hate you?"

"Because of what happened. I know that you said you don't blame me, but you've been so distant. I was supposed to protect you, and every time your dad hurt you I was far away, you were alone for all of it."

"He hurt you too." Drake whispered, looking at Josh's cast and remembering the bloody wrap. Bones and desperation. "I couldn't stop him from breaking your arm. I went with him to protect you, and in the end you were hurt because of an evil he saw in me." Drake looked up at his brother, tears in his eyes. "You were alone too."

"Not like you were." It was relieving to have to have Drake opening up to him, even if it wasn't much. "He didn't just beat you Drake, he got inside of your head. That whole time, you were the only one who was really alone." _I should have been in that room with you. _Josh shook the thoughts away, knowing that his guilt wasn't helping. Josh raised his hand, placing it on Drake's shoulder as he stared at his brother. "I can't chase away the hurt you've felt, and I can't change what happened. But I will stay by your side through this, until you can remember who you are without seeing your dad's monster in your sleep."

"How?" Drake's voice fell silent as he starred at Josh in terror. If he knew that much then it wouldn't be long until he was sent away.

"You talk in your sleep." All of the things he'd heard, as afraid as they left him, wouldn't stop him from doing everything he could to help. "I won't let that madness take you too." Josh promised himself that he'd save Drake from the darkness he was drowning in.

Drake pulled away from Josh, pushing himself to his feet. "I'm not crazy." He snapped, turning away from his brother. "Just because my dad was doesn't mean I am. You guys can't just send me away and hope that things are going to get better." His fists were shaking as he glared down at Josh, all of his anger rising to the surface.

"Drake..." Josh didn't know what to say as he watched his brother fight with the anger overtaking him. "We just want to you."

"Yeah," Drake scoffed, his hair falling over his face. "It'll really help if you send me to some nut house." Turning sharply, Drake headed for the door, needing to be away from everybody. He could feel the monster buried within himself getting excited, the heat on his skin becoming unbearable as his vision blurred. "Just leave me alone," He almost begged as the darkness crept over his vision, leaving him in darkness as his body fell toward the floor.

Josh was pushing himself off of the ground before he understood what was happening, the strain on his broken arm sending spots across his vision as he barely managed to keep Drake from hitting the ground. His skin was so hot. After catching his breath, Josh used what was left of his strength to hoist Drake into his bed. He didn't know what to do for his brother as he watching him flinch in his sleep, the pained expression breaking his heart.

"I'm going to save you." He muttered under his breath as he slowly made his way out of the room, needing time to think.

~.~

His dreams were formless as the heat rose, tearing through muscle and leaving his bones fragile. The skin burnt as it slowly fell away, leaving Drake vulnerable to the indescribably cold darkness closing in around him. Its smoke like hands picked up the fallen pieces and took them away, stealing his memories of life before tragedy with them. Soon, there would be nothing left of the person he had been. The demon would win this battle and everyone he cared about would suffer.

Drake fell to his exposed knees, clawing desperately at the fragments of himself in an attempt to be whole again. Without his memories of better days and a body to protect himself, how was he supposed to fight the creature for control of his body? His mind? His fingernails chipped and broke away against the hard surface of a floor he couldn't see as he screamed against the thick taste of ashes in his mouth.

_You're losing._ The demon snickered as its clawed hand emerged from the darkness, pressing against the old scar on his chest._ Soon, we'll just be me. _

Drake forced himself out of the nightmare, the world around him spinning as he leaned over the bed and threw up. His body shook violently as he continued to dry heave, the sweat making his warm skin clammy. "No more..." He mumbled as he fell against the bed. This had to end tonight, before he was too weak to stop it.

It took everything he had to push himself out of bed, avoiding the puddle of vomit on the floor as his legs found their strength again. His fingers searched the darkness under his bed, finding the photograph of his mother and tucking it into the pocket of his jeans. Quiet as a shadow, Drake made his way through the quiet house. He couldn't remember falling asleep, nor was he sure just how long he had been out. Outside it was dark, heavy storm clouds hiding the moon as the first drizzles of the storm beat against the windows. He couldn't hear anyone. He found Josh asleep on the living room couch, his face twisted n worry as the television again ran the story of Brenton's madness and the lives it had taken.

"It'll all be over soon." Drake whispered as he made his way into the garage. Maybe his father had been crazy, and maybe, so was he. But he couldn't risk that uncertainty leading to the deaths of anyone else. He couldn't deny the existence of the creature he had seen so clearly, its voice and claws all too real against his very being. No matter if it was real, or he was going insane, it all ended now. He told himself as his eyes fell upon the bright red canister of gasoline.

~.~

Reality was a distant fantasy.

Drake moved through the house without conscious thought, spilling the suffocating liquid alongside his footsteps. He had to save them, and to do that he needed to draw the beast out. Splish and splash, the gasoline spread over wood floors and soaked into the soft carpets. The heavy scents rose into the stagnant air as the thunder roared. Even with the storm growing outside, it was a beautiful night.

He knew that once the flames began to spread he wouldn't have much time, so he needed to get them out now. Once they realized what he was doing, they would try to stop him, and he didn't want anyone else to be hurt. "Not this time." He promised himself, seeing the phantoms of the demon's victims in the sudden flash of lightning. Their ghostly remains watched him with hollow eyes, their transparent bodies covered in burn scars. Soon, everyone would be free from this nightmare.

_~. Dear sister, please don't blame me  
I only did what I thought was truly right  
It's a long and lonely road, when you know you walk alone .~_

In contemplative silence he made his way upstairs to Meghan's room, hesitantly pushing open the door. His heart ached as he looked down at her, years of memories rising to the surface of his mind. Like their mother, Meghan had known him everyday of her life. And he was sure that loosing him as well, as evil as he was, would break her down. But what else could he do to keep her safe?

"Meghan," He mumbled as he gently shook her shoulder.

Meghan turned over, her half open eyes disorientated. Then she caught the all too familiar scent wafting through the hallway and the haze in her mind disappeared. "Drake, whats going on?"

Drake's chin fell against his chest as he shook his head. "You have to get out of the house Meghan, its here." His brown eyes locked with hers, the desperation clear.

Meghan stared at her brother, her body trembling with a fear she couldn't understand. She let him help her out of bed and accepted the sweatshirt he handed her. As she tried to ask him again what was happening he pushed her toward the bedroom door, the heat in his hands reaching through her clothes.

The scent of gasoline was thicker in the hall, the stains glimmering in the light from the violently flashing lightning. "Drake, I'm scared." She whispered as he lead her down the stairs.

"So am I." He confessed, urging her toward the front door. In the end, he hoped that she wouldn't blame him for the things he was about to do. That she would be able to see the necessity and forgive him.

No one would understand the fear he was living in. They all thought that his dad had been crazy, and without being able to see the demon themselves, they would never believe that it was there. The world would point their skeletal fingers at him, poisonous words falling from their dry mouths as they locked him away. There was no one he could rely on to help him through this. In the end, it had to be him, and him alone to vanquish the monster and save the day.

Drake lead her though the door, across the front lawn to the car sitting in the driveway. He pulled open the door to the backseat, trying to guide her into its safety away from the merciless rain. "You'll be safe here." He promised.

"Drake, whats going on?" Meghan demanded as he ushered her into the car.

_~. If I could help you forget, would you take my regrets?  
'Cause I remember everything. .~_

He didn't know how to tell her the truth. He was so afraid that it would scare her, that she'd turn on him like everyone else had. But after tonight, would it even matter? Maybe it would be better to tell her the truth, before everyone else tried to fill her head with lies. He wanted her to remember him as her brother, not the crazy remnant of a deranged man. And perhaps someday, she would be able to forgive him for all of the things that had happened, to see past his own regrets and remember him for the brother he'd been before becoming the monster he was.

"The demon," He started, licking his lips as the rain froze his skin. "Its real Meghan. I know that you don't believe me, I wouldn't either." He placed his hand on her shoulder, unsure if her shivering was from the cold or the confused fear he could see in her eyes. "I have to destroy it before it hurts anyone else."

Drake pulled the photograph of their mother from his pocket, closing her hands over it. "I have to set her free." He whispered, the wind carrying his words away.

_~. I feel like running away  
I'm still so far from home .~_

Drake pulled away from her, slamming the door shut as he turned back toward the house. At first he wanted to run, to hop into the car and try to get away from the monster living within himself. It would follow him, no matter where he went. It lived within him, breathing his air and polluting his mind.

He let the rain wash away his own fears as his feet trudged through the mud, feeling the heat on his skin become smoke as the harsh winds swept it away. Looking at the house where he'd lived all these years, Drake no longer saw his home. Now, it was nothing more then the demon's lair, and as long as it stood, its evil could still reach out and take them.

He was ready. All he had to d now was get Josh and his father out of the house.

~.~

The pleasant chirping of his cell phone pulled Josh out of his restless sleep. His hand snaked into his pocket, dragging the device out as his cloudy eyes read the caller I.D. It was his dad.

"Hello?" He mumbled, choking on the familiar stench filling his lungs.

"Is everything okay?" Walter asked, listening to the harsh coughs. When Josh didn't reply he felt himself getting nervous. "I'm on my way home, I got held over at work."

Josh coughed again, pushing himself up as his eyes scanned the quiet house. "It smells like gas," he muttered, almost forgetting his dad was on the line.

"Josh?" Walter asked, his voice rising.

Rising from the couch, Josh walked around the living room, his foot splashing in a puddle of gasoline. He knelt down, ignoring his father's attempts at getting his attention and stuck his finger into it, smelling it to make sure. "There's gasoline on the floors..."

"Get out of the house!" Walter ordered, his heart rate racing. "Get your sisters and Drake, I'm going to call the police."

Josh dropped the phone as the line went dead, running towards the stairs towards Meghan's room. With every step his eyes followed the trail of gasoline, the dread in his mind growing. "Meghan!" he screamed as he pushed open her door, his eyes falling upon her empty bed.

The lightning flashed like white fire, temporarily leaving him blind as he tried to clear the light from his eyes. He jumped, nearly yelling as Drake appeared before him, standing with that empty expression.

Drake, whats going on? Where's Meghan?" Josh demanded, his voice shaking.

"Outside, where its safe." Drake turned his sight toward the front door. "You need to get out of here."

Josh couldn't keep his hands from shaking as he watched the eerily calm expression on Drake's face. The scent of Gasoline filled his nose, leaving his lungs raw as he tried to understand why Drake was doing this. "Why?" he finally asked, his eyes falling to the floor. "Why are you letting this happen?"

"You wouldn't understand." Drake replied coldly, pulling the matches from his pocket. "Get out of here." He gestured toward the door, one of the matches firmly between his fingers.

"No!" Josh shouted, his head snapping up as his eyes met Drake's. "I'm not letting you do this to yourself."

"It has to be done." His voice rose, carried on the snickering thunder outside. "If I don't destroy the demon, then it will kill all of you."

"There is no demon." Josh growled, reaching for the matches.

Drake stepped aside, watching his brother fumble and nearly fall down the stairs. "Yes there is! You can't see it, and you may never believe me, but its here." he said, pointing the match to his chest. "It's getting stronger, and I wont be able to hold it in much longer."

_~. You say that I'll never change  
But what the fuck do you know?  
I'll burn it all to the ground before I let you in .~_

"There's no evil inside of you, your dad said those things because he was sick. After what happened, I don't blame you for believing him, but you can't let his words change who you are. You're stronger then this."

Drake took another step back, his face twisting with rage. "What the fuck do you know?" He growled. "Your whole life has been so damn easy. No _insane father_, no scars and no fears that kept you awake for years. Its easy for you to say that things will be alright when there's nothing tearing your body apart from the inside. Threatening everyone you care about!"

"Drake," Josh reached out to his brother, unsure of what to say. "What do I have to do to help you?" He begged, tears falling over his face.

"I can't be helped." Drake muttered darkly. "It has to die, to keep all of you safe I have to kill it."

"It's not real though." Josh tried weakly.

Drake ripped open his shirt, the buttons falling loudly against the floor as the rain assaulted the windows. He dragged the match over the reopened scar from seven years ago, feeling the tender scabs break open as the blood oozed over his chest. "It was real enough to do this." Drake didn't wait for a reply as he struck the match against the matchbook, the spark hissing as it burst into life. "Now get out of here while you still can."

"No!" Josh pushed himself toward Drake, his eyes never leaving the match as it fell toward the ground. Within seconds the trail of gasoline erupted into a flaming mass as it spread through the hall and down the stairs. Flickering flames rose, towering above them while the shadows danced across the walls. Careful to avoid the moving fire, Josh grabbed Drake's arm and tried to pull him toward the stairs. "Drake, come on,"

Drake shook his head, holding his ground. "Not this time. I have to get it out of me." He tried to smile, to let Josh know that it was okay to go without him. He hadn't wanted his brother to see this, to know what he was doing and watch him burn. But if he hadn't acted then, Josh would have stopped him. "Go, now!" Drake shouted as he stepped closer to the ever reaching flames.

"Not without you." Josh pleaded, his feet moving to avoid the blaze. "Please,"

Drake bit his lip, swallowing his pain as he shoved Josh away from himself, tasting the blood as he watched his brother fall down the stairs.

The wave of darkness was brief, clouding over his eyes for only a moment before leaving him with a headache. He was sore, and his broken arm was throbbing with an almost unbearable pain, but he was sure that nothing else was wrong. Looking back up at is brother, all he could see was Drake's dark silhouette, the raging flames slowly circling around him. In that instant he swore he could see something behind him. It wasn't human, and just the thought of what it could be sent chills down his back as he tried to catch his breath. And then it was gone, reality washed back over him as Josh scrambled to his feet.

"Drake, don't do this." He urged, reaching for his brother, hoping that he would take his hand and leave with him.

_~. Please forgive me, I can't forgive you now.  
I remember everything. .~_

Tear filled eyes fell upon the old family portrait hanging in the hall, watching as the flames slowly consumed everybody. When he was gone, he hoped that they would all forgive him for what he'd become, and what he'd done. Drake looked down at his brother, shaking his head. "If you don't go now, I'll never forgive you." He shouted, turning away from Josh.

Josh watched as the fire closed over the stairway, blocking his path back up. The distant wail of sirens filled his ears, giving him the smallest ounce of comforting hope that everything would be okay. Glancing back up the stairs, he couldn't see Drake anymore.

He told himself that there was nothing he could do, that he had to get outside and tell the people coming to help that Drake was still inside. He tried to make himself believe that there was time and they would save him. Josh moved toward the front door, choking on smoke as his eyes stung and filled with tears. The doorknob brushed against his fingers, urgently calling out to him to save himself before it was too late. He let the warming metal slip away from his fingers as he turned back, determined not to fail this time.

~.~

_~ . It all went by so fast;  
I still can't change the past  
I always will remember everything .~_

_You stupid boy!_ The demon hissed, its voice wavering as its forked tongue lashed out angrily. Its massive body shuddered as it began to grow transparent. _You'll never make it out alive._

"I didn't plan to." Drake pressed himself against the far wall of his bedroom, watching as the flames drew steadily closer. As the demon's power faded, his ability to keep them away did as well. "I win." He mocked, feeling no real joy.

Only a few days ago he'd been just another kid, living life without fear or responsibility. His entire world had changed so fast, and he'd been powerless to do anything about it. He'd become the monster that his father had seen in him, and now he was doing what his father couldn't do. He was killing the beast and saving the world.

Drake watched as the souls of all the demon's victims rose from the flames, their pained expressions offering solemn gratitude for his sacrifice. Twelve souls nodded their somber faces at him as they faded into wisps of smoke and disappeared, leaving only those of his parents behind. The Phantom of his father offered a smile that Drake had thought he'd never see again, thankful and proud of his son before taking the hand of Audrey's spirit. She looked toward him, her sad smile giving him comfort as glittering tears fell from her soft eyes.

Trapped within this reverie, Drake wasn't afraid of the creeping death making its way toward him. He couldn't feel the heat against his skin, or taste the smoke slowly tearing the oxygen from his lungs. He couldn't change the past, all of the people that had been hurt were still dead, and all of his crimes were yet to be forgiven, but for now, he'd found peace. The demon was gone from his sight and his memories of better days played before his heavy eyes in soundless waves. No more fear, no more pain.

_Foolish human. _The Demon cursed as it disappeared from sight, desperately clinging to its last moments of life.

~.~

Josh tried not to think about the heat as it closed in around him, his breaths becoming shallower as he fought the urge to turn back. His mind was screaming at him to turn back, to save himself as he pressed forward. _Not this time,_ He shouted back. _I won't let him down again. _

Without thinking he grabbed the handle to their bedroom, feeling the heated metal scald his palm as he screamed. Shadows danced across his vision again as he tried to will away the agony his body was in with his determination. He could see Drake, across the room surrounded by flames, unconscious. _Please don't let me be too late._ He begged as he covered his face and forced himself forward.

He sighed with temporary relief as his caught sight of the ragged rise and fall of Drake's chest. Using his good arm, he pulled Drake away from the wall and hoisted his upper body into his good arm. There were no words for the pain in his broken arm as he hooked his cast under Drake's legs and lifted him away from the ground. He staggered the first few steps, sure that he would pass out from the combination of pain and smoke inhalation.

As quickly and carefully as he could, he carried Drake out of the room. Every step left him in more pain then the last, threatening to send him into relieving oblivion as he battled the darkness at the corners of his vision. The stairs were what worried him most. They were completely covered in flames, the railing already falling away as the thin bars smoldered into ash. Josh braced himself, making sure he was holding onto Drake as tightly as possible before rushing into the blazing gateway between them and death.

The fire tore at his jeans, the flames licking the soft flesh of his legs as he continued down. He could feel the singed hair on his legs, his nostrils flaring at the scent of burning hair and skin. He felt like he was going to be sick. When he finally hit the bottom step his knees locked, causing him to drop Drake as he fell to his knees, coughing violently as his body trembled. Not yet. He scolded himself, crawling forward and struggling to pick Drake back up. He barely managed to lift him a second time. Josh staggered toward the door, breathing heavily as Drake's body began to slip in the heavy perspiration covering his own body. Just a few more steps. He repeated, letting the words drive his feet forward.

Josh kicked open the front door, the sudden rush of air and rain leaving him dizzy as he moved against it. He managed to get to the concrete stairs before his body finally gave out, sending both boys tumbling to lawn, the muddy grass easing some of the impact of the fall.

Rolling over on his back, Josh looked up as the burning house. He could hear the screeching tires of of the various cars that had finally made it to the house, the thundering footsteps making their way toward them. With all of his remaining strength he pushed himself up, making sure that Drake hadn't been hurt by the fall. A few scratches, and what was sure to become bruising, but seemed to be all.

_~. If we could start again,  
Would that have changed the end?  
We remember everything, everything. .~_

Josh looked down as the emotionless face of his brother, resting peacefully for the first time in days. Then he looked back to their home, engulfed in angry flames and billowing, black smoke. If he had done anything differently when Brenton had first arrived, would that have changed the way things had turned out? Drake had said that his father would have taken him no matter what, that Josh shouldn't feel guilty about what had happened. Even if he had saved Drake at first, if he had died to protect him, would it have stopped all of this?

He shook his head, the tears relieving some of the burn from his face as he fell against the ground. Josh's hand reached over, feeling for Drake's as his vision started to blur. He had saved him, and that was what mattered for now. He forced his mind to ignore the pain, to just remember the good days, before all of this. He couldn't change what had happened, but if he could just hold on to those distant memories, then he could believe that things would get better. They had to.

~.~

Meghan jumped out of the car, running towards her brothers as the fear of loosing them filled her eyes with tears. She had only taken a few steps when Walter's hand closed over her shoulder, jerking her back into his arms.

"What happened?" He asked, shock and worry thick on his voice.

"He said there was a demon, that he had to destroy it before it hurt us." She cried as she turned toward Walter. Her body shook as she searched his face for answers, for anything other then quiet shock.

"Everett was right," Walter muttered, pulling his daughter close to himself. Why hadn't he listened?

Meghan turned her eyes toward the house, watching as the paramedics rushed her brothers away before setting her sights on the rising flames. Within that writing mass of wildfire she swore she saw it. A creature beyond words, howling in agonized triumph as it was eaten alive by shadows and blaze.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the lyrics to _Remember Everything,_ they belong to Five Finger Death Punch.

**A/N: **This was a very long chapter, 16 pages! A lot has happened, and I considered splitting it do to the length and everything going on, but I liked it better all together. With all of the work and time that went into this chapter, I would very much appreciate to know what you readers think of it. Is this what you expected, where will it end? Just, anything really.


	21. The Man and the Monster

After what had happened, the doctors were taking no chances while Drake was in their care. Luckily, there had been no serious damage done to his body by the fire. There would always be burn scars on his legs, the flames had seen to that. Cuts and bruises would heal on their own over time, but what they were all most worried about, was Drake's mind.

In his first brief awakening he had lashed out against the nurse at his bedside, wild with fear and painfully aware that he was alive. Drake had demanded answers from the fear-stricken nurse, and when she could offer none he had pushed her aside and searched desperately for anything to help him kill himself. That was why he was again cuffed to the hospital bed, sedated and under near constant observation. Once the hospital cleared him, he would be taken away to the mental hospital where his father had been held in the hopes that they could help him.

But Drake didn't want to be helped, he wanted to be dead. Staring at the far wall of the room, he could see the shadows swaying from side to side, gently trying to lull him back into sleep. He closed his dark, brown eyes and turned away from them. If he went to sleep, then he had to face the gloating monster that he had failed to kill. He had been so close to freedom, to saving everyone. The demon had been weakened, but with time, it would gain back all of its former strength. Even now it was feeding on his fear, drinking his misery like a fine wine.

_How the righteous warrior has fallen_. The demon laughed against the walls of Drake's mind. He could taste its foul breath on his tongue. _They're going to lock you away, and then you'll be all mine. I'll mold you into the very thing you fear to be, and then the bodies will fall._

"Shut up." Drake hissed, pulling at the restraints around his wrists. He didn't care about the bruises, he just wanted them to come loose so that he could be free. He needed to finish what he had started.

_One by one, first your family, then the world._ The demon marveled, its claws dragging against his insides sending chills down Drake's spine.

Drake shook his head, feeling the tears burn in his eyes as he looked at everything within the room that could do the job he needed done. If he could just get free, then this could all be over. If Josh hadn't interfered, then it would already be over.

_We could kill him first._ The demon offered._ He who betrayed you could be the first to fall. _

Drake's head fell to the side, catching his blurry reflection on the metal bars alongside the bed. In those eyes that had once been his own, the combined image of both his parents, he could only see the monster within himself. Twin pools of raging flames behind transparent brown glass. The fire within his body left him sweating, the rage building until his clenched fists turned his knuckles white. Deep within himself, he wanted to hurt his brother for pulling him from those flames. But he didn't want to kill Josh, and he didn't want the demon to get to him either.

Maybe it was better that they would lock him away. Like his father, he could forget about everything, and the demon would fade away. If he were alone, then he couldn't hurt anyone. He would never have to see the fear and hurt in their eyes, and they could be happy again. The monster would die within the man it had hoped to live through.

~.~

Walter walked around the remains of their home, his feet stirring up bits of ash. Most of the house had been lost, what remained was thanks to the firefighters and the heavy downpour of the night before. Even destroyed, he knew every inch of the house he walked through, the rooms that had been and the memories they had held.

Without thinking he made his way back to the bedroom he had shared with Audrey, damaged, but for the most part, unharmed. There, in edge of the closet doorway was the shoebox of memories that Audrey hadn't been able to part with. How he hated the sight of the untarnished box, sitting peacefully where it had been left. Walter wanted to burn it, to destroy everything that remained of the man who had brought this upon his family.

Falling to his knees, Walter opened the box. Shaking hands gathered up the old photographs, empty eyes looking through the happy images. Buried within the stack, almost completely hidden from view was a folded piece of paper, yellowing around the edges with age. Walter dropped the pictures, feeling the soft summer breeze brush against him as it carried a few of them away.

He unfolded the paper, tears building in his eyes as he saw Audrey's handwriting. One sentence written for every year since the night of the first fire. Some of them written in perfect cursive, others shaky and smeared. The first six were all the same, it was the seventh, the one written just before she had left with Brenton that allowed the tears to fall from Walter's eyes.

_I did not love the monster, I no longer love the man. _The first six read.

_Walter, understand that I don't love the monster, but the man he used to be. The man still trapped within._ The seventh read, written hastily and slightly smeared with tears.

Walter crumpled the paper in his hands, his eyes turning towards the hole in the ceiling to the gloomy sky above. Had she known that he would someday read those lines? He wanted to believe that Audrey hadn't gone with Brenton knowing that she would die. How could she have known what would happen once she was there? He told himself that those words had never meant to be seen by him, that they had been her way of fighting the feelings he'd tried to make her confront. He didn't want to feel responsible for her writing them, but deep within his heart, he knew that it had been because of him. The way he'd acted and the things he'd said.

After what had happened, Walter could only wonder if she still loved him the way she had still loved Brenton. He'd been so cruel, doubting her feelings and unleashing his own hurt upon her. Brenton had been cruel too, and even after years of dealing with that cruelty she had loved him. Even if she hadn't wanted to. So, could she still love him despite the monster he'd been? That last smile, as full of pain as it was, had been for him. She must of loved him when she'd died.

"Audrey," His whispered words drifted into the shadows of the fire stained walls. "Where do we go without you? How do we beat this?"

There was no reply. He'd known there wouldn't be, but he had hoped that something within himself would give him the answers he needed. The bit of Audrey he would always carry, the father within his grieving chest, anything. The world around him was quiet.

~.~

Drake didn't want to see anyone, but he was to tired to fight the visitors that needed to see him. He stared through the walls, to the world he knew was outside of his room when Walter came in with Meghan. She wasn't allowed to go in by herself. _I'm too dangerous._ Drake told himself as he avoided looking at them.

"Drake?" Meghan asked, taking a cautious step forward. She hated that the Doctor's warnings had left her afraid of her brother. Seeing him restrained and drugged broke her heart. How much more breaking could it take?

He didn't answer her, so sure that the demon's voice and anger would spill out from his lips like venom. In the reflection of the metal bars, he could see the pain and fear in her eyes. He hated that reflection.

"I'm not mad at you. For what happened, I'm not mad Drake." Her voice was rising as the tears filled her eyes, desperately wanting him to just look at her. "You're my big brother, I love you."

"Go away Meghan." Drake murmured, refusing to look at her. He just wanted to be alone.

"Drake," She reached forward, shaking off Walter's hand on her shoulder. She didn;t need his protection.

Drake squeezed his eyes shut as his wrists pulled against the padded straps restraining him. "Go Away!" his voice boomed against the walls, startling her and Walter. He could hear the quiet gasp as it fell from her frightened form, the hushed whispers as Walter lead her toward the door.

"Why did you do that to her?" Walter asked, his own hurt thick in his voice. "She's just worried about you, we all are."

Drake bit his tongue, hoping that if he stayed silent his step father would go away. Walter stepped closer, his reflection in the bars distorting as if he were standing in front of a carnival mirror. Tall and inhumanly thin, then short and blob like. But the look in his eyes never changed, no matter how stretched or squished they were. Hurt and guilty.

"I don't know why you burnt the house down Drake, but I'm glad that you got your sisters out, that you tried to get Josh out." Walter wet his lips, suddenly realizing how dry his throat was. "I want to be able to help you,"

"You can't _help_ me." Drake snapped. "I was supposed to die, I wanted to die."

Walter sighed, his fingers fidgeting at his side as he tried to think of the right words for his step son. "I don't want them to take you away, but if you don't let us in-"

"Yes you do." Drake muttered darkly. "If I'm gone, then you don't have to look at me and see mom, or my dad. You won;t have to worry about being safe, because I'll be gone." Drake closed his eyes, trying not to see the demon in his own reflection. "I can be someone else's nightmare." He whispered.

"It's not like that," Walter started, knowing that deep within himself, he'd had those same thoughts.

"Just leave me alone, please." Drake tried to turn on his side, frustrated that he couldn't move.

"I want to help you," Walter muttered, reaching forward.

"Just go Walter!" Drake snarled, jerking his wrists against the restraints as if he wanted to attack. He didn't know how else to make Walter leave. "Go away and be happy when I'm gone."

That had done it. It hurt enough that Drake had gone back to calling him by his first name, but to see the way he was hurting himself to try and lash out brought fresh tears to Walter's eyes. "I'll go," The response was hesitant, he still wanted to help despite the hurt he was feeling. Drake was his son, and he didn't want to see him like this. He hated the monster trapped inside of Drake's mind, but he loved his son. "But if you need me,"

"I'm fine." Drake hissed coldly, resting against the bed and closing his eyes. He wanted to sleep this part away, to succumb to the darkness and wake up far away from this room. Away from the people who he couldn't stand to hurt anymore.

When he was locked away where they wouldn't be able to hear him calling out for them, he would be okay. Leaving them like this tore at what was left of his heart, shattering the vessels that kept the part of him still human alive. Memories and reality would fall away, and with them, he hoped the demon would too. He wanted to forget everything in hopes that he would loose everything. He could be alone in his skin. Even if that meant breaking his family down and hurting them. No matter how much it hurt, as long as they were safe from the monster that he was becoming it would be okay.

~.~

He didn't know how long he'd been asleep for when he felt the fingers lightly tracing over his own, gently bumping the cuffs still around his wrists to keep him from hurting himself. Drake opened his heavy eyes, blinking away the fluorescent light from above. Josh was standing beside him, brown eyes clouded with sorrow as he looked down at him.

"Go away." Drake grumbled, turning his face away from his brother's. He, and the demon within were still alive because of Josh.

"No." Josh said, standing still despite the trembling in his legs. Seeing Drake this angry was so hard. He had always been so carefree, so alive. "If you won't talk to anyone else, then talk to me." He refused to see Drake fall into this darkness, to be locked away without hope. Deep within that anger and pain was his brother, and he wanted to save him.

"I don't want to talk to you." Drake turned toward Josh, flashing angry brown eyes. "The only thing I asked was that you leave the house, that you let me die and save yourself."

"I couldn't leave you." Josh pulled his hand away from Drake, lightly draping it over his cast. After carrying Drake out, it had needed to be x-rayed and recast. All of that pain had been worth it to see Drake alive. "You need help Drake."

"I tried to save myself from the demon, to save all of you, and you've condemned me to it." He snapped, what little reserve he had fading in a wave of anger.

"There is no demon." He could still see Drake standing at the top of the stairs, the strange image shrouded in flames behind him. Josh told himself that whatever it had been, it wasn't real. Just the product of his own stress and fear. "You aren't a monster Drake."

"I told you," Drake glared at Josh, making himself as cruel as he could. "I told you that if you didn't leave, I would never forgive you." He whispered harshly, anger and accusation in his eyes. "You did this to me." It was cruel, and he knew that those words would haunt his brother for the rest of his life. _They had to be said. _He told himself, holding back his own tears as he continued to hold his face in twisted anger.

"You don't mean that." Josh's voice begged.

"Yes, I do." Drake replied sharply. "You wanted me to live, and now I will. Locked away while the monster devours everything that's left." _Keep going_, He told himself._ It has to be done, to keep him safe._ "Its going to eat away at me until there's nothing left, all because of you."

"The doctors are going to help you." Josh could feel the crescent shaped cuts on his palm, his blood covering his fingers as he tried to hold back his own guilt.

"They can't help me." The truth was so painful when spoken out loud. "I know that its real, and I'm not going to pretend that it isn't. I can feel it, tearing me apart." He hitched his breath, feeling those claws against his skin. Within his mind the demon laughed, savoring every moment. "All I wanted was to be free of it, and you took that away from me." Drake closed his eyes, pushing back his own tears before meeting Josh's gaze. "I hope you're happy."

Josh didn't know what to say as he starred at Drake, seeing the raw hate in his tired eyes. He'd never wanted to hurt Drake, he'd just wanted to save him. To fix what he'd allowed to happen. "I did this to you." Josh's voice was barely a whisper as his eyes fell to the ground. "I'm sorry,"

Drake shook his head. "No you're not." His voice was empty of emotion as he settled against the bed. "You got what you wanted." _Please, forgive me for this._ He silently begged as he turned his face away from his brother, forcing his eyes shut to keep the tears away.

"Drake,"

"I have nothing else to say to you." Drake muttered. No matter what Josh said next, he wouldn't reply. No matter how much he wanted to apologize, no matter how much he believe in his own anger, he would say nothing. He wanted Josh to leave, to get as far away from himself and the demon as possible. To be safe.

Long moments of silence passed before Josh walked out of the room, defeated and heartbroken. The last thing he said to Drake was a sincere 'I'm so sorry', and then he was gone. As soon as the door was closed Drake let the tears slide over his cheeks. He'd turned them all away, he'd saved them from himself.

_You're all alone now._ The Demon snickered, its transparent mass resting against his eyelids. _Its just you and me now, boy and monster. _

"Not for long." Drake tried to shake the sight of the demon from his eyes, but failed. It was never going to leave, not until he could forget everything.

_They tried to make you're dad forget me too._ It scoffed, that same, sickening grin twisting over its face.

"He wanted to remember." Drake opened his eyes, staring into the garish light of the florescent bulbs. "I want to forget."

~.~

The next morning Drake was cleared from the hospital, physically, he was fine. He was sedated and handed over to the care of the same facility that had housed his father. Heavily built men led him from the room where he had forsaken his family and loaded him into the vehicle that would take him away from everything he had ever known. He didn't try to fight them off, just followed with empty steps and distant eyes. He wanted to be taken away.

The staff of the Asylum looked at him, sorrow and fear in their eyes as they forced welcoming smiles over their tight lips. They remembered Brenton, and they could see him in every surface of the boy being brought before them. Would he be just as dangerous in the end? The psychiatrist who examined Drake felt a deep pity for the boy as he listened to him speak of the demon raging within him. How badly it wanted to break free and destroy everything. Drake told him that it wanted blood on its claws, that it was going to burn everything around him to the ground. With desperation on his voice and tears in his eyes he'd begged the Doctor to hep him forget, just like they had helped his father before him.

He was committed, assigned his medications and a room, his father's room. White walls and barred windows were his only companions as the demon in his mind tore away at his thoughts. But he couldn't hurt anyone, he was alone and locked away. Just like he'd wanted to be.

Drake would see the Doctor's that promised Walter they could help him, but he wouldn't bend to their words. As long as he was alive, everyone around him was in danger. He swore to follow their rules and pretend he was trying to help himself. All the while he would fight the demon's growing strength until he managed to forget it, and everything that would remind him of its existence. Then the world could pass him by, unburdened and unafraid until the man and the monster within him were dead.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

**A/N:** All righty, one more chapter to go. Thank you to everyone still reading, means a lot to me. Before I write the last chapter, I feel like its important to say a few things: Reverie isn't like all of my other stories, which is apparent by the lack of response its gotten. With Reverie, I didn't simply focus on the physical pain of the characters, but the internal battles for them all. I took away the 'monsters' and focused on the people. Most people haven't liked that, but those of you who have stuck by it are amazing for doing so! For me, Reverie has been about perception, knowing that I can write something other then physical pain and still put out an amazing story. I stand by Reverie, and am very proud of it, and what its let me see about myself as a writer. Thanks you to everyone who's stuck with me through it, and I hope that when the last chapter is up, you will all enjoy it and the entire story. :)


	22. Strange Highways

**~ One year after the fire. **

_.~. It's a crazy world we live in and I'm leaving it today __for another institution we crazy people play  
Every time I climb the mountain and it turned into a hill __I promised me that I'd move on and I will .~._

Daylight, in all of its fleeting glory offered only heat to the Demon's unquenchable rage. In those solar reflections the boy caught sight of the monster's eyes, glaring through him as if he were made of glass. It was trying to shatter him, to make him remember. It required those memories to grow stronger and break free.

The boy smiled, his lips twisting in solemn joy at the creatures failure. Why it was so important for him not to know was lost to him. He'd held onto the need to keep his memories away, and that was enough for him. In his small white room he could feel safe. Close walls and a low ceiling kept the world from seeming too big. The world outside his bared window was a terrifying place. It was limitless and full of things that he couldn't understand anymore. Far beyond the tall trees separating the institution from the city, towering buildings stabbed at the sky. Smoke rose and lights chased away the darkness of peaceful nights. It wasn't safe out there, not for the people who lived there, and not for himself.

He didn't know how long he had been here, though he knew that it hadn't always been his home. Sometimes, late at night when he was asleep he could see himself walking down hallways and sitting in rooms too real to be imagined. Brightly painted walls with photographs hanging from them surrounded him, the faces blurred. He knew that the Demon wanted him to look at those pictures, to stare at the faces until their names became thoughts that would turn into words. If those words found his voice they would become real, and he couldn't let that happen.

In his determination his memories had fallen away so easily, like the grains in the hourglass his doctor kept on the desk. Sometimes, his grasp over them broke and he would see the ghostly faces of the people he had once known, but when he remembered the fire, he lost sight of those smiling remnants of his past life. Everyday that passed brought a new battle to push the faces away from his eyes, to keep their names locked away. Who they were was a secret that could never be revealed. He'd promised himself that he would move on from those days before he'd come here, and he wouldn't let anything make him break that promise.

_Drake..._ The Demon called over his empty mind, its voice soothing and painful. That was what the doctor called him too, but that name couldn't belong to him anymore. It was a key to a door he refused to unlock. _You can't deny me forever._ It sneered, dragging its sharpest talon over the scar on his chest.

The boy opened his eyes, wrapping his thin arms around his legs as he tried to will the beast away. Sometimes, he could still smell the fire on his clothes, the suffocating scent of gasoline thick on his fingers. The only thing he let himself remember were the flames. Burning brightly as they tore away walls and swallowed every happiness he had ever known. Even in their shadows he could see the harsh lights beckoning to him like skeletal hands. Where they wanted him to go didn't matter, he never followed. The scars on his legs tingled as he let the fires eat away at him, tearing him further away from the person he used to be.

The Demon circled around him, a hollow fragment of the beast it had once been. The dark burgundy of its skin glowed in the afternoon sunlight, its black scaled limbs glistening lazily. _You don't want to be here, Drake._ It spat his former name. _Think of what we could do, of your family. They miss you so much. _The mock sincerity oozed from between its jagged teeth like poison. The boy pushed himself into the corner, his eyes watching as the demon's reptilian tail circled around him, the spiked end forcing his chin up so that he could see its eyes. Those dancing, malevolent flames flicked brightly against the dark sockets that held them. Swaying hypnotically as the Demon spread its jaws into a frightening grin.

"Go away." The boy whispered, feeling the spikes of the tail digging into his face as he tried to look away. The doctor had tried to convince him that the Demon wasn't real, that if he could believe that he could get better and leave._ I can never leave._ He told himself, _No matter how afraid I am, I have to stay here._ "No family. No life beyond this room." Words he had whispered everyday since he had come here.

_.~. I good for nothing going nowhere so they say _

_hey someone give me blessings for they say that I have sinned  
That when I crawl inside myself and ride into the wind on strange highways .~._

The Demon was real, and it was a part of him. If he left this place then he put everyone outside in danger, he was a threat. Outside of these cold walls he was good for nothing, but locked inside, he was saving everyone. The nurses looked at him and shook their heads, their forced smiles doing nothing to hide the sadness in their eyes. He was too young to spend his life here, they had said. Even believing those words, they were still afraid of the things he had done. They didn't know that he could hear their whispers as they talked about the fire he had started, how much like his father he was. Many of them had worked here with his father, and it didn't take long for the gossip to spread to the others.

One of them, a pretty redhead who'd been new to his ward and had heard the gossip about him from the others had taken his hand, offering a cute smile. "Don't worry." She had smiled, her green eyes flashing behind dark lashes. "You'll get better and go home soon." Those words had sent him into a panic, angry at the accusation that he was simply crazy, and terrified of leaving he had lashed out at her. Since that day, she hadn't spoke to him again. She still smiled at him, but it was no longer the genuine smile she had once held, and there was no hope for him in her eyes.

He had felt terrible for hurting her, for giving the Demon that taste of pain that had strengthened it and kept it persistently demanding more. The boy tried not to think about the things the Demon wanted, its hopes and demands for him. He closed his eyes, falling into the comforting darkness within his mind as he let it carry him away from everything. Down those dark and baron roads he flew, until all he could hear was his heartbeat drowning out the sounds of the world around him. The darkness protecting him from all of the things he didn't want to know.

~.~

_.~. So here is my confession it's the only broken rule sometimes I crawl inside of me  
Where I can be the fool on strange highways .~._

The family stood in silence around the gravestone of the woman they all missed. It was hard to believe that a year had passed since she had been torn away from them, a year of grieving with no motherly warmth to comfort them. On their own, they'd traveled the long and frightening roads of their emotions, memories lighting the way as they'd finally come to peace with what had happened. Each fork in the road had held the possibility of despair, of falling so easily into the darkness that had taken Drake from them. It had taken every ounce of strength each possessed to keep walking, to drag their feet through the mud of their heartache and search for more solid ground. The ground was firm now, but the dark rainclouds were still too close for comfort.

For Audrey, they had lain flowers over the graves of the others who had met her fate at the hands of a madman, they had remembered them and grieved. Fourteen spirits gone too soon from a world that hadn't been ready to lose them. Beyond the city limits, the fifteenth lay, living but no longer truly alive. They fooled themselves into believing that he would be okay everyday.

Over the last year each of them had dealt with their own pains, slowly letting go of their anger only for it to be replaced by an emptiness that couldn't be filled. Doctors visits and therapy sessions could only do so much, the rest was up to them.

For Walter, the hardest part had been watching his family crumble under the effects of Brenton's madness. The death of his wife had left him bitter, the breakdowns of his children had left him depressed. When he thought of the way he had looked at Drake, so full of misplaced anger and fear, he was disappointed in himself. It had taken Drake's raw emotions to make him look at things they way they were, to admit that he had been delusional to his son's needs. Denying Everett the chance to help Drake before the boy had gotten desperate had been one of the biggest mistakes he'd ever made. He apologized every day, though he knew that Drake couldn't hear those apologies.

"I miss you." Meghan murmured under her breath as her fingers traced over Audrey's name. Living without her mother's warmth, those reassuring smiles and open arms, had left her more alone then she'd ever felt. She understood why Audrey had done what she had to save them, but some nights she couldn't forgive her mother for leaving her like that. Within her pocket rested the photograph Drake had given her the night of the fire, creased and protected. He had saved them all, and in doing that, she couldn't believe that his mind was truly gone. He had been afraid of whatever he was seeing in his mind, of the thing she had thought she saw rising from the flames. Meghan hadn't thought about the image since just after that night, and she pushed its memory away now. If she thought about it too long, she was afraid she'd end up like her brother.

Josh stood in the warmth of the summer sun, his little girl cradled in his arms. Aubrey Blake Nichols was only three months old, but she had all ready become Josh's world. During the days before her birth, after Drake had turned him away he'd been a wreck. He'd left that hospital room in tears, hating himself for saving his brother, for thinking that it would have been better to let him die. He didn't regret saving Drake's life, but there wasn't a day that went by where he didn't try to think of how to help him now.

Stepping forward, Josh knelt down before the grave, showing his daughter to his mother. She'd been named after Audrey and Drake, and within her tiny body rested all of Josh's hopes for a brighter future. If he could be a father to her, then he could find a way to help his brother and let go of his own guilt. Every time she smiled, the pain he'd been in got easier, and he let the past filter away. But he would never forget. Not the pain and fear in Drake's eyes, and not his own promise to save him.

Mindy put a gentle hand on his shoulder, her own tears glistening in the sunlight. He nodded, needing no words to know that it was time to go. He handed Aubrey to Mindy and pushed himself off the ground, wiping the dirt from his pants. The girls were going to lunch, and he was going with his father to see Drake.

Walter went once a week to check in with the doctors, but until now, Josh hadn't been ready to go himself. Walter never saw Drake directly, because the only time he'd tried Drake had went into hysterics. He didn't want to see or remember his family. A year had passed that way, more and more they were loosing him to the madness he'd inherited from his father. Josh had been afraid of seeing Drake that way, of the guilt he would feel for his hand in Drake's fate. But now, he knew that he was ready. He needed to see his brother, and he had a plan.

~.~

_.~.You can see the other side and you shall come over _

_you can't leave the other side if you say I will .~._

The boy pushed himself to his feet, pacing back and forth as the Demon's voice invaded his thoughts. Right and left, six steps each way. He tried to focus on each step, the soft sounds echoing against otherwise quiet walls.

_Look out the window, see that world out there? You belong out there._ The Demon raised his clawed hand to the bared window, its claws clinking against the bars as it drummed its fingers against them. _You want to be out there. We could burn it all down, make it perfect. _

Sometimes, he wanted to burn it all down. To let the Demon take his skin and let go of the fight that left him worn down and empty. The boy chased those dark thoughts away, counting his steps as he continued to pace. He grinned, imaging his trail wearing the floor away, like a cartoon. He couldn't let the monster win. If it left this place, there would be nothing left of himself.

The boy heard the footsteps outside his door, the shadows reaching out from under it as it was slowly opened. It was that time of the week already, the doctor was ready for him.

"How are you today, Drake?" Everett James asked, smiling warmly. Walter had begged him to help Drake after the fire, and he'd promised to do everything he could.

"It's here." The boy whispered, staring into the Demon's eyes. "It wants me to burn the world away."

Everett nodded, having learned that Drake was most difficult when being taken from his room. It had been a year since Drake had been committed, and there was yet to be any positive change in the boy. When he'd first been brought in he had screamed and hurt himself until they had put him on the medications his father had been one, the ones that would slowly chase away the memories that were causing him so much mental frustration. He had forgotten his family, and his own name.

But still the monster within him lived. No amount of clever words or pills had been able to chase that creature from Drake's thoughts, and Everett was running out of ideas on how to help him. He'd read all of Brenton's files, and Drake was proving to be almost the exact opposite of his father. Brenton had fought to remember the life he'd been taken away from, because he wanted to save his family. Drake wanted to loose all of it, even himself, to protect what was left of his. Drake had no desire to help himself, to fight the affliction plaguing his mind. Everette felt his heart ache every time he saw the boy, knowing that he thought he was doing the right thing as he threw his life away.

"Want to go to my office with me?" Everett asked softly, extending his hand. "I have a surprise for you." Knowing how Drake felt, he wasn't sure if this was a good idea. But he hoped that maybe, after all this time seeing someone he knew would help bring him out from the darkness he'd submerged himself in.

The boy shrugged his shoulders and turned away from the Demon smiling beside him. He followed the doctor down the halls, every step away from his little room making him more nervous. Even as small as the institution was, it was too big for him. There were people, nurses and doctors and patients like himself everywhere and he didn't know if he could protect them all. Down another hall and around a corner he went, following Everett into the well lit office the doctors used. He checked the room before entering, his eyes searching for whatever surprise Everett had waiting.

The room looked like it always did. The boy sighed with quiet relief as he stepped inside, going to the chair where he always sat as he waited for the obligatory meeting to end. It would only take an hour, then all he had to do was eat and go back to his room.

Everett sat across from Drake, his hands resting on his brown slacks as he looked at the boy. As usual, Drake was avoiding looking at him, pressed as far back into the chair as he could manage. "How are you doing today, Drake?" He opened as he did every week.

"Fine." The boy muttered. The Demon never followed him into the office, which he was thankful for. "It's still trying to make me remember. It wants to burn everything down." Sometimes he wanted to scare the doctor, so that he would just leave him be. Other times, it felt good to let the words go.

"Do you want to burn the world down?" Everett asked, his eyes finally meeting Drake's.

The boy bit his lower lip, feeling the soft flesh move between his teeth. "Sometimes," He confessed quietly. "I don't want to fight like this forever. I'm tired."

Everett nodded, sighing heavily as he watched Drake try to push himself further away. "What happened a year ago left you pretty shaken up. But if you start to realize that the demon isn't real, it will go away. Then you can stop fighting it."

The boys snapped his head up, glaring angrily at the doctor. "Its real! Its going to hurt everyone, like it did to me." He shouted, his fingers falling over the scar on his chest. He'd had it for as long as he could remember, and the Demon was always touching it. It had even managed to cut it back open a few months ago. The nurses had blamed him, because they had found a broken plastic spoon hidden in his room. In those moments he could see the flames again, rising behind Everett's chair and slowly circling around. The boy shuddered, wrapping his arms around himself as he became afraid of the doctor for the first time.

"Drake?" Everett asked, concerned by the way he was trembling. He slowly reached forward, his mind trying to understand what had changed.

"Don't touch me!" The boy yelled, his fear turning to anger. "You're just like the beast, you want me remember and hurt everyone." He accused sharply.

Everett pulled his hand back, shaking his head. "I want to help you."

"No one can help me." The boy dropped his voice, turning his eyes back to his own hands. The smell of gasoline and burning wood thick in his nose. The soft knock at the door caught his attention, bringing his eyes to the thick wood and tarnished gold handle.

"Its okay." Everett said softly, though now he wasn't sure if this was a good idea. Drake was on edge today, and though he didn't think the boy would hurt his visitors, he didn't want to risk it. "You can come in," He added hesitantly.

The boy watched carefully as one of the larger guards entered first, behind him, two men. The first was much older, his blonde hair beginning to gray as his blue eyes settled on him. The second was younger, but looked a lot like the first. He looked at the boy with guilt and pity in his bright eyes, his hands in his pockets. _I know them... _The boy realized, and he could feel his anger rising again. He'd worked so hard to forget, and now those phantoms were standing before him, no longer transparent images but flesh and blood!

"Drake," Walter said softly, seeing how distraught he had become upon seeing them.

"Go away!" The boy shouted, bringing his hands over his ears. He didn't want to hear that name anymore, and he didn't want to remember who they were.

_We could kill them both. _The Demon snickered, its heat brushing over his skin.

"No!" The boy jumped up from the chair, his fists shaking as he glared at Everett. "How could you do this?" He refused to look at the men who'd come to see him. "This isn't going to help me, please, make them go away." He begged, restraining himself from lashing out. He could feel the demon's limbs within his own, trying to attack.

"What happened to him?" Josh asked in quiet shock. If it hadn't been for Drake's appearance, he wouldn't have believed that it was his brother standing before him.

Everett pushed himself up from his chair, making sure to keep Walter and Josh away from Drake. He waved away the large guard, not wanting to further agitate Drake and send him into hysterics. "Drake, its okay. No one here is going to hurt you."

"I don't want to hurt anyone." He cried, letting himself fall to the floor as he covered his ears and closed his eyes. "I don't want to remember." The words were a soft whisper, but they still hurt his family to hear. The boy looked up at Everett, his eyes pleading. "Please, let me go back to my room."

Everett nodded, carefully stepping toward Drake and extending his hand to help him up. "I'm sorry for putting you through this." He said softly, keeping Drake away from his the others as he handed him over to the guard.

The boy said nothing to the doctor, too full of anger and a sense of betrayal to speak. The Demon laughed, having invaded the one place the boy had believed he was safe from it. This room would never be the same. He shrugged the guards hand off of his shoulder as he continued forward on his own, eager to get back to to his room where he could be alone. There were too many people here, and he didn't want any of the names racing through his mind to attach themselves to his unwelcome visitors.

Drake was walking past them, carefully avoiding any contact when Josh stepped forward and grabbed his hand. The guard immediately moved to separate them, having noticed Drake's body go rigid as his head snapped up. Josh slipped the treasure he'd brought with him into Drake's shaking hand, closing his fingers over it before stepping away from his brother on his own.

The boy didn't acknowledged the item in his hand as he hurried through the door, desperate to get away as a name stuck in his head. _Josh._ The word was a whisper, his own voice merged with the Demon's. Hearing it, knowing it, frightened the boy as he nearly ran back to his room, slamming the door behind him. The boy made sure he was alone before crawling back into his corner, shaking away the Demon's voice as it repeated the name in a dark, sing song voice.

_.~. Every time I climb the mountain and it turned into a hill well I promised me I'd disappear and now I know I will .~._

"That's not right, that isn't his name." The boy repeated over and over until the name slowly faded away. He knew that it wasn't completely gone, the syllables still resting on the tip of his tongue, waiting to be said aloud. The boy refused to voice those sounds and allow them to be real. The Demon's heat beat against his skin as he let his anger tear through his throat, burning away the name.

It wasn't fair! Not after how hard he'd worked to forget, after he'd buried away the pain his memories left him in. He'd fought too hard the have all of his efforts broken away by something as simple as a visit._ I'm done playing nice with the doctor_, he told himself. _With everyone. I came here to disappear, and save them from myself._ Everyone wanted him to believe that the Demon wasn't real, that he could simply will it away and be himself again. They couldn't see it like he could, and the boy guessed that he couldn't really blame them. But he wanted to. He wanted to be angry at their ignorance and disbelief, no matter how much his own anger gave brighter life to the flaming beast within him.

He could still see those flames, burning everything away but not taking him with them. How selfish that fire had been. If he had died, then the demon wouldn't have been able to come back. It's breath was his breath. They shared his body, and every day of life that still stood before him was another day for it to grow stronger.

_I am you as you are me. _The Demon echoed, resting its claws over his shoulder. _As long as you breath, then I can't die. I told you that you couldn't defeat me_. It's rotted breath fell over him, filling his nose until he began to choke._ I will take over this body, and then the world will fall at your hands. First your family, the everyone else who gets too close. Just like your father._ The whisper sent chills down the boys back. _Your hands will be stained with blood,_ a_nd it will be glorious._ The Demon promised darkly before scraping its claws over the boy's scar, chuckling as the skin burnt.

The boy clenched his fists, feeling for the first time the thing the other boy had placed within his hands. Fragile and thin. The boy opened his hand, slowly unfolding the photograph as his eyes fell upon a face he didn't know. It was a baby, her bright blue eyes gazing toward him as a toothless grin sat over her face. Her features were familiar, but the boy couldn't place them. He turned the photograph over, seeing the creased, neatly written words that had been left for him.

_No matter how bad things seem, or how dark the world becomes, you saved a life. She smiles because of what you did for her dad, and he will always remember you. He doesn't blame you for the things that happened, and when you're ready, he's waiting to thank you for the good you've done. _

The boy turned the photo back over, staring into the child's smiling face as tears fell from his brown eyes. No matter how evil the demon told him he was, he had saved someone, and nothing could take that feeling of ease away from him. For the first time in over a year, a sincere smile crossed the boy's lips. There was no name or date included, and the boy was thankful for that. The Demon couldn't single her out without them, and she would give him no painful memories to run from. As long as he had this timeless photograph, he could fight the Demon's power.

_.~. So someone give me blessings for the times you say I've sinned  
So I can crawl inside myself and ride into the wind on strange highways .~._

He knew that he would never leave the institution, that this child's father would never get the chance to thank him. For as long as he was alive, the beast would rage within his chest, and he couldn't risk it finally taking over. The boy knew that before he had come here, he had done bad things. People were dead, and those fragmented memories of fire were never far from his thoughts. But when he felt his will breaking, he pulled out that photograph and smiled back at the ageless girl. The boy fell into himself, away from the demon's voice and the pains that living offered, and he rode that glimpse of happiness down the winding roads of his shattered mind.

It was his only comfort in a world too big for him to protect, and it was his torch through the darkness of the insanity slowly taking over him. The boy allowed himself to have no family, no memories of better days. They only served to strengthen the Demon and fuel its rage. But when he saw her smile and read the message on her photograph, he knew that he had done something right. What had started as a mere reverie of his father's insanity had become a forceful plague on his own mind. Those haunting visions had become his reality and there was no cure. The boy accepted that he would die here as he lived, alone and tormented by the beast tearing apart his mind. But there would always be her smile in those times of utter darkness. Her life.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Drake and Josh, nor do I own the lyrics to _Strange Highways_, those belong to Ronnie James Dio. I started this story with a song about insanity that I loved, and I ended it with another.

**A/N:** So, we've hit the end. I know that Josh and Mindy having the baby was out of character for them, but I needed her for the end, so please don't be angry. Before its asked, there isn't going to be a sequel. Reverie wasn't meant to have the traditional happy ending, its been a dark drama, and a happy ending wouldn't have worked out right for it. It's gone full circle, in a way. Again, _thank you_ to all of the readers who've stuck by it in its creation, and to those of you who've offered words through its writing. I would love to know what you guys thought of the ending, and the story overall. Its been a blast to work on and to share.


	23. Epilogue: Requiem for a Reverie

**A/N: **I know the previous chapter was supposed to be the last, and I didn't originally plan on posting this, but I'm very happy with the way it ties things up. A slight warning, reading this chapter does give a definite ending, one that you, as the reader may not like. It's a good read, but a finalizing one all the same. While here, I would also like to acknowledge the amazing cover photo for the story, made by Trikkster. It's lovely and I love it!

**Disclaimer:** The lyrics used in this chapter belong to Slipknot, from their beautiful song Vermillion Pt. 2.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

**16 years later ~ **

Aubrey stood beside her father, her face twisted over her shoulder to stare at the tall, iron gates they had passed through. Seeing the aged, dark iron sent a chill down her spine. She'd never felt trapped before, and even knowing that she could leave didn't chase the unease from her mind. The choice to come here had been hers. Her father had talked to her about her uncle, every year on Drake's birthday her father told her something about him. Keeping his memory alive through her as his own started to slip. She wasn't sure what she hoped to accomplish by seeing him for herself, but something within her told her that she had too.

"Are you ready?" Josh asked, looking down at his daughter with a soft smile. Her shoulder length light brown hair shimmered in the afternoon sunlight, so much like her mother's.

"Yeah," She replied under her breath. Without thinking she smoothed the creases in her jean skirt, feeling the softer fabric of her pink leggings just beyond the denim.

Josh took the first step forward, a movement he'd made countless times over the years. He'd watched Drake changed through the two way glass, knowing that Drake didn't want to see him. It still hurt to this day, the reaction Drake had had upon seeing him all those years ago. But he had forgiven Drake for that. If that's what it took for Drake to survive, then he was okay with it. "It may not go the way you're hoping." He warned her, not wanting to see her hurt.

Aubrey shook her head, closing her blue eyes as she sighed. "I don't know what I'm expecting." She admitted. "I just know that I have to see him, just once." She'd seen photographs of her uncle, almost all of them from a time when he was her age, before he'd been committed. The last happy days of his life had been laid out like dark memorials around the house, framed and looked upon with a sense of sadness by all who looked at them. She had grown up with the ghost of his memory hanging over her family, watching her as she stared back.

Sometimes, it was almost impossible for her to believe that the smiling boy in the pictures had ended up the way he had. Her father hadn't told her Drake's full story until just this year, and before that, all he'd ever say was they before the darkness had taken him, he had saved Josh's life. She'd never really understood it until now. For as long as she could remember there had been a distant sadness in her father's eyes when he talked about Drake. The remnants of a guilt he had left behind. It had broken her father down to know that Drake had done this to himself to save not only him, but everyone from the monster he believed inside of himself. In cruelly turning Josh away, Drake had forced him to push away the guilt that would have destroyed him and push forward.

Josh put his hand on her shoulder, gently squeezing it as they approached the facility together. He would do anything within his power to keep Aubrey from being hurt and disappointed. It had been important to him to let her know about Drake as she grew up, because if it hadn't been for Drake's sacrifice, he was sure he would have fallen into his own hurt. He wouldn't have fought past his guilt and grief, and she'd have grown up without a father. So, just as he told her of the sacrifice her grandmother had made, he told her of Drake's, keeping them both alive in the only way he knew how. Through memory. through her.

After the security guard checked them in and made sure they weren't bringing anything into the facility they went to the front desk to sign in. Aubrey looked around at her surroundings as her father spoke with the woman behind the counter. A well aged redhead who knew exactly who they were here to see. The bright walls of the facility were covered in shadows, swaying in the early days light. Through the thick double doors she watched the patients wonder about, lost in their own minds. Was her uncle just like them? Living in medication induced happiness without a clue as to where he was? She hoped not. After years of staring back at him, of hearing his name and her father's memories, she wanted him to be different from the others. They waited in silence as the nurse called one of the guards to escort them to the visiting room where Drake would be.

Since the day Walter and Josh had visited sixteen years ago, Drake had refused to cooperate with his doctors. He'd become paranoid that everyone was trying to help the creature within him break free. Now he only saw the Doctors in his room, and on occasion, in the small safety of the visiting rooms. Dr. Everett James had retired, but he had agreed to come in today, to help Josh and Aubrey.

Everett had aged well over the years, the full grey hairs on his nearly bald head were neatly combed back. There were more wrinkles on his face now, but he still held that warm smile as he extended his hand to Josh. "Good to see you again Josh."

"Hello Everett." Josh smiled, before looking over to Aubrey. "This is my daughter, Aubrey."

Aubrey stepped forward, shaking the doctor's hand. Her dad had told her about Everett, and she respected the man and what he'd done for her family. "Thank you, for coming."

Everett smiled. "Its no trouble. You may not know this, but Drake has kept that photograph of you with him all these years. I think its been the only thing holding him together." He turned back to Josh. "It was a brilliant idea."

"It was all I could think to do." Josh said, turning toward the two way glass. He watched as the door opened, as the men in their clean uniforms brought Drake in and sat him down. Sometimes, all he could see was the scared kid his brother had been, rather then the broken thirty-four year old man he had become. Even in this place, Drake's looks had held up. The nurses adored him, but they were afraid of him to. Of what Brenton had been, and the bit of him still living in Drake. Brenton had broken out of this very facility, killing three people on his way out. Josh couldn't blame them for being afraid, but he hated it all the same. Drake wasn't his father, no matter how similar they had become.

Aubrey turned away from Everett, her sight completely taken by her uncle. She had only ever seen him in photographs, and even aged as he was she knew that it was him. That reddish brown hair, hanging loosely over his deep brown eyes. How many times had she looked into that face while wondering about the man within the photograph? He still had the same physical build, small yet strong.

"Will it be safe, for her?" Josh asked under his breath. He refused to believe that Drake would hurt her, but the father in him had to be sure. He turned his sight from Everett to Aubrey, her focus completely on Drake. He was sitting there, deathly still muttering to himself. It had grown easier for him to see Drake this way, he was here so often. Looking at Drake through the glass, making sure that he was still there. But no matter how used to it he'd gotten, it still hurt.

"I'll go in first." Everett offered, leaning on his cane before taking long, slow steps toward the door. He'd tried to keep up on Drake's progress over the years, but confidentiality had kept pretty much everything from him. The mumbling was new to him, and he couldn't help but pity the boy in the visiting room. He waited until Aubrey nodded in consent before opening the door and walking in.

Drake's eyes shifted from his fidgeting fingers to Everett's face, a moment of recognition passing over his eyes before he turned away again. "You're back." He muttered.

"How have you been?" Everett asked politely as he sat down across from Drake.

Drake shrugged his shoulders, never looking up at his former doctor. "Its stronger now. Won't be long now, and it'll be all that's left." His voice was low, its sound containing a darkness that sent chills down Everett's spine. "I am him as he is me."

"Did he do that to you?" Everett reached a hand out, flinching as Drake pulled away from him. Down Drake's arms were scars and recent cuts. Some Drake had made when he was still his doctor, hiding plastic silverware and sharpening it when he was alone. The fresh ones were choppy, made by the unkempt fingernails on Drake's shaking hands.

"He wants out." Drake could see Everett's eyes searching his arms. "He is me as I am him. My life is his, my body, it wont be mine much longer." Drake's eyes closed, his fingers knotting in his disheveled hair. "I can't fight it anymore..."

In his current state, Everett was worried about Josh's daughter being in the room with Drake. He couldn't stop her from speaking to her uncle, he could only hope that Drake would remain calm while she was here. "Do yo still have the photograph?"

_~ … She seemed dressed in all of me, stretched across my shame.  
All the torment and the pain, Leaked through and covered me  
I'd do anything to have her to myself, Just to have her for myself  
Now I don't know what to do, I don't know what to do when she makes me sane... ~_

A brief smile played over Drake's lips, vanishing from view almost as quickly as it had appeared. How the demon hated that photograph. It had threatened to burn it, to take it away and rip it apart. That little girl was the living reminder of the evil's he couldn't remember committing, but she was also his salvation. He had saved a life, the photograph said. All of his torment, all of his pain was taken away for those brief seconds when he could just look into her smile. Sometimes, it wasn't the demon that left the red, pained streaks across his body, but himself. He did it to distract the demon's rage, to take it to himself to keep it from hurting her. Drake slipped his hand into his pocket, feeling the worn, creased photograph. "She keeps me sane, the demon hates her."

Everett smiled, nodding his head. "Never let go of her, of the light she gives you."

"I wont." Drake promised, pulling his hand away from the photo. He didn't want to share it with anyone. It was his, she was his. "I saved her, and I don't even know who she is." He admitted quietly.

"You are a good man. I'm sorry that this has happened to you." Everett said softly, and he meant it. Over the years there had been so few that he couldn't help, but Drake had stood out against the rest. He'd been the one that Everett had tried hardest to save. Everett grabbed his cane, using it to support his tired body as he pushed himself to his feet and walked toward the door. He knocked twice, waiting to be let out as he glanced once more at Drake.

"Thank you." Drake's words were a mere whisper filled with an honest emotion that Everett hadn't heard from him in years. "For trying."

"I wish I could have done more." Everett replied softly as he was let out of the room. He looked first to Aubrey, then to Josh, nodding as he stepped away from them. "We're loosing whats left of him." He muttered. _I am him as he is me._ He'd heard Drake utter those words so many times, even after all of this time, it still sent chills down his spine.

"You don't have to go in there." Josh squeezed Aubrey's shoulder, wanting to pull her away from the hurt he knew she would face upon going in there. "You've seen him," _Whats left of him..._ Josh pushed the thoughts away, not wanting to acknowledge them.

It was true, she had seen him. Her eyes hadn't left him since he'd been brought into the visiting room. She didn't know why, but it wasn't enough to have just seen him for herself, she wanted to talk to him, to try and help. She wasn't naive enough to think that she would make a miraculous difference, it was just something that she felt she had to do.

"I want to." She murmured, carefully puling away from her father's hold and placing her hand on the door. She took a several slow, deep breaths before nodding to the orderlies waiting to see what she would do. "I'm ready."

Drake looked up as the door opened again, expecting Everett to come back. His breath caught in his throat as he stared at the girl slowly entering the room. A familiar face that he knew he didn't know. The florescent lights shimmered off of her light hair like beacons of hope, drawing his sight to her somber, smiling face. Those blue eyes, so like the ones from his memories. "Who are you?" He couldn't hide the trace of fear from his voice.

"My name is Aubrey Blake Nichols. I'm your niece." She sat across the table from Drake, looking into his shifting brown eyes.

"I don't have any family." Drake stuttered, his fingers reaching for the photograph in his pocket. He could feel the folded photo, and he knew where he'd seen those features. She was real, she was sitting right across from him. Her name echoed against the walls of his mind, feeding the Demon's malicious hunger._ How long have I been here?_ He wondered soundlessly. Just that morning he'd looked at the infant that had been his saving grace all these years, and now a near grown woman was sitting across from him. He could feel the sweat of his panic beading on the back of his neck, the fear making him nauseous. "You can't be here, you aren't real."

"Sixteen years ago, you saved my dad. He tells me every year, about what happened." She looked down to her own hands, noticing her trembling fingers for the first time. "I've waited my whole life to meet you uncle Drake."

_Drake..._ He knew that name. A long time ago, it had been his. That's what they had called him before the demon had taken over. "You aren't safe here." He mumbled, trying not to look at her.

Aubrey bit her lip, trying to find the words that would make him see her. She could see the marks covering his arms, old scars and new pains, and it tore at her heart. Cautiously, she reached her hand out across the table, leaning forward the slightest bit to touch his shoulder. "Right now, I am all that's real. I'm here to help you."

Drake flinched under her fingers, his eyes moving to meet hers. He couldn't remember a time he'd felt so suddenly calm, when the demon's voice wasn't whispering through his ears. If she was the girl from the picture, then she had changed a lot. He had changed. "How old are you?"

"I'm sixteen. I look a lot like my dad, but I'm smart like my mom, well, both of them." She smiled. "My aunt Meghan is pretty smart too, and she's really pretty."

Drake listened to Aubrey talk about her family for the next twenty minutes, they way she loved them, the things they did that drove her crazy. The more she talked about them, the more the phantom faces from his past became real, until he could see the reflections of them deep within his eyes. He knew that he needed to push them away, that he couldn't let those images last, but he wanted to listen. Her voice was like a rushing current of water, drowning out the demon's own and his fears with it.

"I'm sorry," Aubrey said, noticing the distant look in his eyes. "I'm boring you..."

Drake shook his head. "No..." His voice trailed off as he caught his reflection in the mirror. He could still see the fire in his own eyes, the demon's smile twisting over his own lips as he looked back to her. He didn't want to hurt her. "I don't want to hurt you." He whispered, afraid that by saying it out loud, he was giving into the demon within himself.

Aubrey shook her head. "You won't hurt me." She assured him. It surprised her to realize that she believed in her words. She'd been so unsure before, with her father's worry and just being here. Her uncle was crazy, everyone had told her so. He believed that he was possessed by the demon of his father. Sixteen years ago he had burnt down his families home and tried to kill himself. He was dangerous, to himself, and to anyone that tried to get too close. Aubrey looked up at Drake, that broken down man sitting across from her wasn't going to hurt her. Despite what may have happened before she'd been born, or while he'd been here. He wasn't that boy anymore, and she couldn't bring herself to fear him as he was now. "You won't hurt me." She repeated, smiling brightly.

"You can't talk about them anymore." Drake muttered, wrapping his arms around himself. "The, family. The demon, it needs those memories to grow stronger, so I can't remember them." Drake pointed to his head, any traces of ease or joy disappearing from his features. "I don't want anyone to get hurt again."

"Like grandma?" Aubrey asked, her eyes falling to her intertwined fingers in her lap. "My dad told me about what she did. How she saved everyone..."

Drake shook his head, pushing away those memories as his fists hit the table, starting Aubrey. "No!" He shouted, tears falling over his cheeks. "It was my fault, I killed her."

"I, I'm sorry," Aubrey couldn't stop herself pushing away from the table. She looked up to the orderlies, raising her hands to keep them away. She wouldn't let this visit end like this. "We won't talk about them anymore, I promise." Moving back toward the table, her hand reached out to his, Aubrey smiled again. "Can we keep talking?"

"It's not safe." Drake whimpered, drawing away from her. He felt safe around her, her voice chased away the demon's whispers, but he knew that the longer she was with him, the more danger she would be in. "The demon,"

"Can't hurt me." Aubrey hesitantly pulled away from him, trying to make him comfortable again. She glanced at the two way mirror, knowing that her father was out there watching, probably fighting the urge to drag her out of the room. She bit her lip, the question she'd been wanting to ask resting on her tongue. "Is it really scary?" She watched Drake tense and immediately regretted asking. "I'm sorry,"

"It's okay." Drake's voice drifted across the suddenly quiet room. He could remember being asked about it by the doctors, but no one had ever asked him if it was scary. "It is scary." He told her quietly. "I am him as he is me." The mantra fell from his trembling lips so easily. "He lives inside of me, he can't die unless I die."

"What does he look like?" She asked without thinking. Drake's eyes grew distant, his teeth on his bottom lip as he tried to decide what he should say. If he should say anything at all. "You don't have to tell me, I understand."

"If you know what he looks like, if you can see him, he'll haunt you until he kills you." Drake uttered the words softly, his voice dark and bitter. He wouldn't do that to her.

"It's okay. I want to remember you, not the monster."

Drake looked into her eyes, falling into the sincerity and smiled. In that brief, honest smile she saw through the thirty-four year old man, past his suffering and into the seventeen year old boy from the photographs. Buried deep within all of his current fear and pain, he was still that same boy. But he was so alone now, forcing away the memories that might have offered him peace in this place. Aubrey couldn't imagine not having her good memories to fall back on, the pain and emptiness she would feel at loosing them. If the photograph her father had given her uncle had truly been the only thing that had comforted him over the years, then she was glad he had done it. Thankful.

"The photograph my dad gave you, it helps doesn't it?" She wanted to be sure, to know that even if their time together hadn't changed anything, he'd still have something to chase away the darkness.

"All the time. The demon hates it, but it keeps the part of me that's still me real." Drake's fingers moved toward his pocket, feeling the photograph against his skin. She would always be his light.

_~...She is everything to me, The unrequited dream  
A song that no one sings  
The unattainable, Shes a myth that I have to believe in  
All I need to make it real is one more reason  
I don't know what to do, I don't know what to do when she makes me sad...~_

"I'm glad." She smiled, pushing back tears. "I have one of you to, in my room at home." The orderlies across the room nodded, letting her know that her time was almost up. Aubrey pushed herself up from the chair, straightening her skirt before looking across the table at her uncle, once again the older man. "Thank you, for saving my dad, for giving him to me." Her breath shuddered as she exhaled, the tears welling up behind her blue eyes.

Drake looked up at her, smiling again as he shook his head. "Thank you, for saving me." He watched her turn toward the door, feeling the room grow cold as her hand touched the handle. Almost as suddenly as she'd appeared, she was gone, as if she'd never really been there at all. With all of the medications and his own slipping sanity, he was sure that he'd imagined her. As the orderlies helped him up from his chair, he pulled out the photograph and held it tightly in his hands, assuring himself that it at least, was real.

Everyone here knew about the photograph, no one tried to take it from him, they didn't even ask to look at it. It was his, and his alone. She was everything to him, without her, the demon would have won by now. Even if he had imagined meeting her, it didn't matter. She was the myth that he'd believed in over the years, the light to the darkness closing over his eyes. Walking a path he knew by heart, he turned the photograph over and read over the words he'd memorized.

_No matter how bad things seem, or how dark the world becomes, you saved a life. _

"_Thank you, for saving my dad, for giving him to me."_ Her voice echoed against his mind. Hearing it again, the sound chasing away the snickering of the beast within his mind made her all the more real to him. She was real, and as long as he was still himself, he wouldn't let the demon hurt her.

~.~

Josh let out a breath he hadn't known he was holding as Aubrey left the visiting room. When Drake had slammed his fists against the table, it had taken everything he had not to burst through that door and go to her side. His heart ached as he watched the tears fall over her cheeks, as she fell into his arms and softly sobbed.

"It's okay." he whispered, not knowing what the words meant to either of them.

"He's so alone dad." She cried, clenching her father's shirt in her hands. "He's not a bad person, but he's suffering so much. It isn't fair!"

"I know." Josh murmured, his own tears falling as he turned toward the empty room. He would have given anything to have been able to talk to Drake like she had, to have been able to offer him anything other then fear and hurt. "But as long as he has that picture, and the memory of seeing you, he won't be so alone anymore."

Aubrey shook her head, her face against his shoulder as she tried to stop the tears from falling. "Thank you, for giving him the picture, for letting me come here." She didn't think she'd ever be able to thank her father enough for what he'd done.

Josh nodded, afraid that if he tried to talk what was left of his reserve would crumble. For her, he would be strong. He would be every comfort and strength she could ever need of him. And right now, she needed him as a father, and not a grieving brother. Swallowing his own sobs, he placed a hand on her shoulder and offered a tired smile. "Lets go home."

Aubrey smiled back, wiping her tears and running mascara away from her face. "Okay." She replied simply, following her dad back out the way they'd come in. She promised herself that she would never forget Drake's voice, or that smile he'd given her. Even if he forgot the good within himself, she wouldn't.

~.~

_~...A catch in my throat, choke  
Torn into pieces  
I won't, no!  
I don't wanna be this...~_

Back in his room, Drake stared out of his barred window, at his reflection in the glass. Somewhere within his fiery, demonic eyes was a boy he could hardly remember, reaching out and begging to be saved. He had known that boy once, he had been that boy. Sixteen years seemed like only a few days to him. The countless battles he'd fought in the never ending war that he could feel himself loosing seemed so insignificant now.

_Aubrey_, The demon sang her name. _Her soul will fit so nicely where the others used to be. _

"You can't have her." Drake growled, tearing himself away from his reflection and falling to the floor. Back into the safety of his corner, her picture grasped tightly in his hands. He tried to push her name away, to take away the peace he had felt when speaking to her.

_Her skin looked so soft, can't you imagine it burning? Like your mothers? _The Demon traced his claw over the old scar on Drake's chest, feeling his heartbeat race beneath it. The taste of his fear on the otherwise stale air ignited his essence.

Drake shook his head, feeling the warm tears burn his cheeks as they fell. He didn't want to remember. He closed his eyes, trying to stop himself from crying, and against that darkness he could see a face he hadn't seen in years. There, in the empty abyss that had become his memories was his mother, the way he had remembered her after the fire Brenton had started. Not burned or dying, but angelic, trying so hard to save him from himself. He saw her for only a moment before her features shifted, reforming into the reflection of the girl he'd met in the visiting room.

"It's okay." Her voice drifted through his mind as she reached out to him. "I'm all that's real, I'm here to help you."

Drake forced his eyes open, trying to chase her away from his thoughts. If he let her be real, then the demon would find her, it would,

_It'd be so much fun._ It's voice echoed through his thought, reading his mind. _You know that you want to kill her, and her father. He stopped you from destroying me. _

_~...She isn't real  
I can't make her real...~_

"Shut up!" Drake shouted, pushing his hands against his ears. He looked down to the floor where the photograph had fallen, gazing into the infants happy eyes. "She isn't real." He told himself, feeling his heart ache as he forced himself to believe in the words. "You can't hurt her if she isn't real."

The Demon laughed, closing his talons over Drake's shoulder._ I am you, I know that you don't believe that. _

Drake forced his hands away from his ears, picking up the photograph and slowly tearing it apart. He couldn't stop himself from crying as he watched her disappear, the pieces falling at his feet one at a time. Some of them the colorful images of the photo itself, others the white backing with her father's words neatly written over them. _Saved a life_, One read.

"I won't let you win." Drake cursed as he crawled towards his bed, grabbing the old cotton blanket and using all of his strength to rip apart a long, thick strip. "I won't become you."

_What are you doing?_ The demon snarled, its eyes glowing as the flames dripped from between its teeth.

_~...She isn't real  
I can't make her real...~_

Drake didn't answer the beast as he wrapped the cloth around his throat as tightly as he could, his hands shaking as he pulled the knot tight. His body shuddered as his lungs fought for air, all the while the demon screamed within his mind. As his vision blurred, the darkness growing over him, Drake looked to the remains of the photograph and mouthed the last words he would ever speak. _Thank you, for saving me._


End file.
